Jogging. A great way to stay in shape and to take some stress off. We see people jog almost everyday on campus and think , “Boy are they healthy!” While some of us aren’t so physically active , others are extremely physically active and can be labeled and known as a “health junkie.” While we know jogging is very healthy and a great cardio work out we might be over looking some negative aspects of this practice. Let’s say for instance one jogs everyday. Think of all the long term complications they may start to face. Shin splints, bad knees, bad ankles are a few of the many things frequent runners may face.
According to running.about.com, “Beginner runners may want to start out running every other day, to give themselves sufficient recovery time while still building a running habit.” It seems as though the trick is to give yourself recovery time to allow your muscles and joints to get a rest. When it comes to more experienced runners it is suggested that one still has rest days but to never get lazy and stop their running routine.
So what can you do to stay active and healthy on those days your body needs a rest you may ask? Well FitsSugar suggest to try a different work out that may work on different muscles; this way you can give those other running muscles a break. Try doing yoga, hiking, or a zumba class to stay active on your rest days.
Just curious ,if any of you guys comment back, how often do you guys go jogging and do you see positive results ?
SOURCES:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness-pictures/weird-things-running-does-to-your-body.aspx
http://running.about.com/od/faqsforbeginners/f/runeveryday.htm
http://www.fitsugar.com/Running-Every-Day-Bad-My-Body-3524881
I enjoy running especially in the summer on the trails by my house. I have never experienced negative side effects in my joints or anything. However it is after I run on a treadmill that the next day my ankles or knees will hurt or be sore. For this reason I try not to run for long period of time on treadmills. I think the hard surface of a treadmill has some part in this. This article: http://www.livestrong.com/article/544794-joint-problems-from-running-on-treadmills/ describes why some way feel joint pain after running on treadmill and how to reduce it.
I really enjoyed this blog post! I used to run everyday for 5-8 miles but my knees began to weaken. Now I try to do long runs once a week and small runs every other day. I think the struggle with lightening your running workout is the reduction in the release of endorphins. In the article,http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-depression , they define a “runner’s high” as “accompanied by a positive and energizing outlook on life.” Imagine having those feelings every single day and then having to pull back from it, it’s really hard. When I slowed down my running workouts I had to figure out different exercises that were not as bad on my knees but still gave me the same feelings. If anyone is going through this problem I strongly suggest spin classes or swim workouts!
Personally I try to go for a run everyday! I have always been a huge fan of playing soccer, so when it is not soccer season I feel the need to get my energy out in some way shape or form, so going for a run is a perfect way to do that and stay in shape! I have not experienced any negative long term side effects or injuries from jogging thus far. I have noticed that a combination of running and going to the gym for weight training has built my endurance and strength in soccer, so it has increased my performance! Working out on a daily basis is quite important to me.
I can vouch that jogging is in fact terrible ont he knees. I was a four year varsity runner for the junior Olympics when I was in high school and never before had my knees hurt so bad. The constatnt impact on growing bones and muscles is detrimental to future health. Now, walking the mall or the beach has become a task; an obsticle to overcome. The pain sometimes is unbearable and I wish I had never done so much damage. I never stretched before a workout, I never massaged or let the muscles recover. I just ran. Every single day. And hard. And it has deffinitely done damage. The body can only withstand so much and I wish someone had told me this before I began running. Oh well.
Great post! I actually just recently started running, and I found that running outside versus running on a treadmill are very different. Running outside is much for taxing on the joints and shins. While when running on a treadmill I feel less pressure on my joints, and more on the actual muscles. Of course there are downsides to treadmill running. It only works on certain muscles, and does not give the fullest extent as running outside does. It is also hard to stimulate the different environments that anyone can encounter when running outside, and is definitely easier to run on a treadmill than it is outside. While running is a great way to stay active, there are so many other ways to stay in shape too, especially if someone wants to get a full body workout, rather than just mostly legs.
http://www.active.com/running/articles/indoor-vs-outdoor-running-3-things-to-know-about-treadmill-training
I really like this post. I personally am a avid runner and know from first hand experience that jogging everyday does have it’s negative effects. A lot of people don’t realize that having that constant impact can do a lot of damage and it’s not a good thing to constantly put that much pressure on your legs and ankles. I liked that you also added some other alternatives besides running such as doing yoga, zumba, or even just running every other day to give your legs a rest. One thing however, is what would you suggest for people on competitive teams such as cross country or track teams that need to be outside running everyday for training and things like that? What would you suggest?
Great post! I am by no means a health junkie, but I do run every once in a while. And can occasionally feel it in my knees and ankles especially. I most often feel it if I don’t stretch before or if its been a while since I ran last. I think to prevent these things you just have to make sure you stretch and don’t over work yourself. If something is already hurting or damaged it doesn’t help to keep working it.
I am not a jogger. I never have been, and I probably never will be! I love to workout, lifting to be exact, but you’re right whenever i see a runner I immediately go to the idea of how healthy they are. There are so many different methods of exercise, but anything helps!
I played soccer and basketball yearlong in high school and ended up with a knee injury. Ever since then I am only able to run about once a week. Because of this I had to find other ways to exercise and stay in shape. I love doing yoga, and have found that using the elliptical at the gym does not bother my knee at all. Spin classes have also been a great source of exercise for me. I definitely see positive results from doing these activities as substitutes of running, but it is different for every person. It also depends on if you want to gain muscle or develop a more lean figure. I have found that the yoga is great for muscle toning and the spinning and the elliptical has been a great source for cardio.
Great post! I used to jog every day and I do sometimes notice some pain in my knees when I kneel down randomly. Maybe that could be attributed to jogging! Thanks for the informative post.