"Running isn't good for you"

We may have been designed to run, but we weren't designed to run on pavement and we weren't designed to wear shoes with 1" soles. Knee problems are usually due to heel-striking.

You know, there are some elites who heel-strike. One quick route to injury is majorly messing-around with one's natural stride. I agree that overbuilt shoes are generally a bad idea, but that doesn't mean that everyone should be going out and running barefoot and making drastic changes to their natural biomechanics. Overthinking running is the source of a lot of injuries.

I don't think one can truly find their natural stride without running barefoot. I think its dumb to run barefoot or in 5-fingers on pavement for long distances, but barefoot running as a training tool on a soft surface would be very beneficial to unlearning the bad habits and weakening of the feet developed by wearing overbuilt shoes.

Injury rates for runners are exceedingly high. Most have little to lose by exploring the alternate to doing what their local running store tells them to do.

I'm definitely not against barefoot running as a tool...but I have several friends who jumped into it and suffered injuries from rushing the process. The longer I've run, the less shoe I've required. I started in beefy stability shoes and now alternate between light stability performance trainers and low-drop neutrals.

As for the injury rates among runners, they are very concentrated among new runners--the ones who don't ease themselves into the sport or try to run through pain (runners are a stubborn lot). In 6 years I've had 2 injuries that slowed me down--a cranky right knee when I rushed recovery after a 25k and a grade 2 sprained ankle during a trail relay. The sprain wasn't even specifically a running injury, I just happened to be running when I did it. My BFF had injury upon injury in the first couple of years she was running...because she trains inconsistently, runs through pain, and runs too fast (her "easy" training pace is not much slower than her race pace).

That is so true. The majority of people I know with running injuries (as in, injuries that are specifically related to running, not injuries gotten from other thing that hamper running), are people who aren't doing it right. They don't have proper form and stride, and they don't train consistently. They're usually just people who hop right out on muscles that can't handle the exertion, and then they break down, take a rest, and jump back in at the same intensity without learning to gradually build up and cross-train to keep themselves in an overall strong form.

I firmly believe that as humans, we were born to run. We have the mechanics, and when it's done right, there is not pain, injury, or issues. Ask any running coach who know about biomechanics and the huge role they play, and they will always say the same thing.

I recently switched to minimalist shoes, and it has made a complete world of difference in an old knee issue, just in the few weeks I've incorporated it. But it's like any other sport. If you don't train properly, you cannot do it without hurting yourself. Our bodies might have the right base, but they cannot go from nothing to high intensity with bad mechanical form, which is often what people do.

Anecdotally, I know a bunch of runners who have been running for years. All of them always run at low intensities and don't run at exceedingly high volumes (ie. they follow novice Hal Higdon training programs), and most of them keep getting injured. The one common denominator is they all get shoes based on the recommendations of the running stores and they pay no attention to their stride. I on the other hand have never been gait tested, I only wear racing flats (ie. my pic), and I do mostly high intensity running and have had minimal injuries over the years.

The worst decision I've ever made was walking into one of those running stores. It took me 6 months fully heal from those 2 pair of shoes. all that new awesome technology in shoes tore my shins and ankles up. I wear the lowest profile shoe I can find with an insole. When in doubt I take them home and go a half mile out and a half mile back, I've returned more shoes over the past 3 years, but I haven't been injured since.

I love running. I feel better when i do it. I don't see anything wrong with it. But my chiro said that running is bad for the joints, although i don't have any joint problems. . And i have read in several articles that running "full" marathons is like experiencing mini heart attacks. although, i see plenty of studies that say the opposite. I wish i could have save that article. Maybe i will post it if i find it.

like someone said what add pressure on your knees is the weight
i believe both are good
walking maybe be better idk why
running adds so much
with walking you cant really build endurance at least in my opinion

i go by what worked for me and i was 310 pounds in august and all i did was run my *kitten* off and i am now at 246 pounds
not only did i lose weight but my endurance is crazy on top
i can last running longer then people in better shape then i am

congrats on your goals, and have fun with your running! I dream that I'm running, thats how badly I want to run. Run your az off girl! You know how to do what you can to protect yourself from injury, but unfortunately those things happen to SOME people.

Anecdotally, I know a bunch of runners who have been running for years. All of them always run at low intensities and don't run at exceedingly high volumes (ie. they follow novice Hal Higdon training programs), and most of them keep getting injured. The one common denominator is they all get shoes based on the recommendations of the running stores and they pay no attention to their stride. I on the other hand have never been gait tested, I only wear racing flats (ie. my pic), and I do mostly high intensity running and have had minimal injuries over the years.

The worst decision I've ever made was walking into one of those running stores. It took me 6 months fully heal from those 2 pair of shoes. all that new awesome technology in shoes tore my shins and ankles up. I wear the lowest profile shoe I can find with an insole. When in doubt I take them home and go a half mile out and a half mile back, I've returned more shoes over the past 3 years, but I haven't been injured since.

It's unfortunate that you had this experience. The local store that I refer people to is fantastic. Everyone there is trained in gait analysis. They make recommendations based on your mileage, experience and gait. It sounds to me like you were just sold a piece of technology, as opposed to a solution.

Running is good for you. I am a recovering cardiac patient and I have been told that running is good for you by my cardiologist. I was a runner before my angioplasty and I will be a runner long after. Good luck with your training. Run strong!!!!

I really enjoy reading everyone's comments, even the snarky ones. If running makes you feel good and helps you set and meet goals then DO IT! As with anything it can have a negative impact but there are also so many positives. I never thought of myself as a runner, but I realized I enjoy it. It's a few minutes a day alone and at peace. The calories the fat blah blah, it's just the run! I also do circuits, yoga, and cycle but I always feel accomplished after a good run. If she feels good after walking, great for her, but she shouldn't try to take your happy! Also, I started in very supportive shoes, had some hip issues. Went to the running store did the video on tread thing and got "great" shoes. My hips didn't really improve and my shoulder started to bother me. I stopped running for awhile. I recently eased back into running and then bought vibrams (barefoot shoes) my stride is better, I speed is up, my body no longer hurts! Nothing is for everyone, that's what makes us awesome, the world would be so boring if we were all the same, but check all your options!

If people are running to train up their endurance for 5k's, 10k's, or whatever marathon they want to do...that's one thing. But alot of times people run because for some reason they think it's the "end all, be all" thing to "fitness". Their diets are trash. They have no clue about energy balance, but they run run run run thinking the fat will magically fat off.

That is what is comical.

Not to mention that I don't think I've seen a runner yet with amazing body composition.

While everyone may disagree- having been someone who took up running, and didn't see any difference in weight loss or body composition, he is not that off base.

I am sure that there are some people who start running and the weight just comes off- great for you. For others that might not be the case.

Also "running" in and of itself will not make you "healthy" running combined with a good diet will help make you healthy.

Yeah, skipping the cardiovasular fitness aspect that running gives you, which increases blood flow to all your organs, takes stress off your heart, and lowers blood pressure, running is definitely not as healthy as just eating better. Because eating better can just make up for all that.

When did I say in that statment that running was not as healthy as just eating better? Pretty sure no where. How about you read the whole thing and see that I was stating that for ME and others just running will not make you any healthier, if you are still eating like *kitten*. Running or rather any cardiovascular exercise combined with a healthy diet will make you healthier overall.

Also pretty sure that any doctor out there would tell you that to make a healthy lifestyle change it includes exercise and DIET.

I don't have any links on hand, but from what I've read, running is bad for your knees if you have bad knees. That it's not the running that causes the knee problems, and knee problems occur just as much in non-runners as in runners.

There's wayyyyy too many runners in their 50s, 60s and 70s at the races I do for it to be detrimental to everyone's knees.

^^^True!!

I do have bad knees, coupled with starting a zillion other workouts I have given up running. I have completed a 5K and I think for me that took the spark away, and just ended up my knees aching all the time. But this is ONLY MY story! Not everyone's... :-)

However like so many have already said, being obese is far worse than running.

Give her the finger... and then run off

You so cray Tony... :laugh:

Eating isn't good -- if you eat the wrong foods.

Walking isn't good for you -- if you walk in front of a bus.

Lifting weights isn't good for you -- if you drop them on your foot.

LOL

Anecdotally, I know a bunch of runners who have been running for years. All of them always run at low intensities and don't run at exceedingly high volumes (ie. they follow novice Hal Higdon training programs), and most of them keep getting injured. The one common denominator is they all get shoes based on the recommendations of the running stores and they pay no attention to their stride. I on the other hand have never been gait tested, I only wear racing flats (ie. my pic), and I do mostly high intensity running and have had minimal injuries over the years.

The worst decision I've ever made was walking into one of those running stores. It took me 6 months fully heal from those 2 pair of shoes. all that new awesome technology in shoes tore my shins and ankles up. I wear the lowest profile shoe I can find with an insole. When in doubt I take them home and go a half mile out and a half mile back, I've returned more shoes over the past 3 years, but I haven't been injured since.

It's unfortunate that you had this experience. The local store that I refer people to is fantastic. Everyone there is trained in gait analysis. They make recommendations based on your mileage, experience and gait. It sounds to me like you were just sold a piece of technology, as opposed to a solution.

I've never been tested. But I've seen my trail of footprints in the sand. My feet are straight - no clown feet here.

I think the OP just wanted a comeback for her conversation, and it became a debate. Awesome entertainment on these forums as always. I hate running. Detest it. I don't know much about it. But it's part of my get healthy regime. I use a Polar FT4 HRM. I have never burned the same amount of calories walking 2 miles, than jogging it. I remember reading that here once and wanted to test it out. If you have a good HRM, try and see for yourself. Maybe I'm doing it wrong.....

What people mean to say is that you could burn similar calories walking and jogging, if you do it at the same speed. Walking and jogging a mile won't burn similar calories if you're walking at 3mph, and then running at 5mph. It just won't. If you jogged at 3mph, though, the calorie burn would probably be pretty close, because at that pace, your biomechanics would prefer that you walk, which would mean you're going against your stride. That just makes going that slow jogging awkward, because it's not efficient.

Actually from what I understand its the distance you travel, not the speed you travel it that matters most when it comes to calorie burn. What some people seem to be confusing is the fact that burn is the end all of getting healthier/fitter

Its more complicated than these posts would show.

Actually if you run faster than you can walk, then you burn more calories for a given distance.

But at a fast walking speed, you actually burn more calories walking because walking is less efficient than jogging at that speed. In other words, a brisk walk is harder to do than a jog at that pace. But at a slow walking speed, walking becomes more efficient and burns less calories than jogging at the same speed.

Oh and as for power walking, that damages your shins real bad. So you can't win really!