Forums >Health and Nutrition>Running may be harmful to your heart
Walk-Jogger
... Which you? Which world? I prefer to be a person who dies on the race course, and not a slow death that goes on and on, rotting away. If they cut me open and see an enlarged heart, may they eat it like Kevin Costner did the heart of the stampeding buffalo after the hunt in Dances With Wolves, and receive with an illuminating and transformational force my bravery, endurance and strength.
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Which you? Which world? I prefer to be a person who dies on the race course, and not a slow death that goes on and on, rotting away. If they cut me open and see an enlarged heart, may they eat it like Kevin Costner did the heart of the stampeding buffalo after the hunt in Dances With Wolves, and receive with an illuminating and transformational force my bravery, endurance and strength.
I'm a heathen non-believer but I'm giving that one a great big "Amen!" brother!
By the way, there are studies out that show that SITTING is harmful to your heart. Not even a "maybe", it IS harmful. I figure time spent running is time spent not sitting, and any running "damage" to my heart is probably way way less than the damage to my heart from sitting. In fact, I figure running probably undoes some of the damage to my heart caused by sitting at a desk 8 hours a day, even though the naysayer's would have us believe otherwise.
Retired & Loving It
Nerd
I skipped my Dr. recommended physical when I turned 40.......ended up doing it when I was 41+, just as I had set some aggressive running goals a couple of years back. He said all was good and asked if I had any questions. I just said that I have read similar stories that have been cited in this thread and I have a bunch of friends, co-workers, and acquaintances who try to tell me their knees are ruined due to running or that they know someone who......
My question to the Dr. was, what are the risks of my running (goal was 5 HMs, a bunch of other races, and more than 1000 miles that year)? His response........"Yes, there are potential risks. HOWEVER, the benefits gained by regular running, and exercise in general, far outweigh the risks." The benefits from running mitigate the risks of so many other conditions that will surely be had with a sedentary life.
I am going to continue running.....
Keep the running and fitness up and keep the weight from coming back.
Run more miles than last year.
If you run every day till you're 100 years old, you will live a long life.
It's funny though because at the age of 42 my doctor advised against running. He said it was very risky and bad for you after 40 and that one should look for alternative physical activities.
I am sorry to admit that this influenced me for many years. Now that I have been running for about a couple of years, I feel so tremendous, physically. I wish I had not listened to that doctor.
I'm a heathen non-believer but I'm giving that one a great big "Amen!" brother! By the way, there are studies out that show that SITTING is harmful to your heart. Not even a "maybe", it IS harmful. I figure time spent running is time spent not sitting, and any running "damage" to my heart is probably way way less than the damage to my heart from sitting. In fact, I figure running probably undoes some of the damage to my heart caused by sitting at a desk 8 hours a day, even though the naysayer's would have us believe otherwise.
I met the author of the book "Drop Dead Healthy" who decided that, after a year of researching all aspect of health, living it, and writing a very amusing book about it, decided that sitting for long periods of time was very unhealthy.
He build himself a "treadmill" desk. He writes at it, and while he is working, he is also walking about 2-3 mph.
Feeling the growl again
It's funny though because at the age of 42 my doctor advised against running. He said it was very risky and bad for you after 40 and that one should look for alternative physical activities. I am sorry to admit that this influenced me for many years. Now that I have been running for about a couple of years, I feel so tremendous, physically. I wish I had not listened to that doctor.
Some doctors are idiots. I used to work at a highly respected cancer center, and some of the oncologists could be seen crossing the road to get off-property so they could get their smoke on.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Self anointed title
I just love those articles that cite "XXX runner died while running". If they knew how much time Micah True spent running, they would realise that it is not surprising that he died whilst doing it.
Running seems to be getting singled out for a bad rap from the WSJ et al. People often have heart attacks while playing golf. But you never see headlines screaming "Golf may be hazardous to your heart."
Spam
Alex Hutchinson has followed this topic closely on his blog, and his response to the latest round of hysterics is worth reading. The gist of his argument is that the methodology behind these findings is, at best, suspect.
Remember this article in TIME a few years back? http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1703763_1703764_1853207,00.html