Running

RUNNING AS AN EXERCISE

I decided when I wanted to start weight training again after many years that I also wanted to do a cardio type of exercise along side it. So I first decided to look at running. Running is it good for you as an exercise or can it be bad for your knees and hips. I have heard different stories of how running can damage your knees and hips. Is it true or just stories, well lets se if we can find out. The Negatives Running, can it damage joints? Well yes it can after all running is a weight bearing exercise and if you over do it or you don’t wear decent running shoes then you could suffer from injuries to your hips, knees and ankles. Runners can also suffer from an injury called shin splints which is an inflamation of the muscles around the shin bone, this can be painful. The Advantages So what are the advantages of running? Losing weight would be a big one. Running is a well known calorie burner. Because running is a cardiovascular exercise it is good for your heart and lungs and can help towards lowering blood pressure and cholesteral as well as may be slowing down the natural muscle and bone loss that happens as we age. My Thoughts If I look at running in a logical way to me, my thoughts are that when running you are basically transfering your whole body weight from one leg to the other, many times over. So this has got to have a strain on all the bones and joints in or connected to the legs. But that said I still think if you have the right running shoes and you don’t over do the running it is an ideal companion to weight training and will benefit your exercise with weights. I have heard that a lot of runners use weight training along side their running routines to strengthen the muscles around the joints to protect them more against injury. So in my opinion I think a certain amount of running would fit nicely with any weight training program. Do remember to check with your Doctor first, that running is suitable for you. Also remember to invest in good quality pair of running shoes. In my next post I am going to look at cycling as a cardio exercise to go along with my weight training program. I will also look at indoor running/walking with a treadmill and see what treadmills are available. If you can’t wait till then you can have a look at this great range of  Treadmills

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