Marathon Training And Distance Running - The Health Benifits
Running long distances is one of my favorite hobbies. Marathons have become a regular weekend event for me. Over nearly 20 years of marathon running and training for long distance sports I have heard many misconceptions about the inherent risks of running endurance events. I have put a few of these myths to rest below.
Often the most common objection I hear in regards to marathon training is made by individuals who are out of shape and quite incapable of running at all. The statement that our bodies were not made to run long distances is not only untrue, but it is often a statement made to excuse the unwillingness to try.
The second most common misconception about running and marathon training is that it is bad for your joints. In fact, the exact opposite is true. Running long distances increases blood flow to your joints and increases cartilage repair. The most common issue that leads to joint problems is being overweight; and running fights obesity.
There are an entire group of myths about marathon running being bad for your cardiac health. Runners have strong, healthy, and efficient hearts that pump more blood with less effort. That's a proven fact so this myth is easily dispelled.
Marathon training has a high rate of minor injuries. However, this is most often due to improper techniques in training and does not necessarily imply that the marathon training itself is bad for you.
Running injuries are often due to two distinct factors. The first is increasing mileage too fast without giving your body time to adapt. This results in temporary and usually quick healing injuries.
The other injury often found in marathon training is pulled muscles. This is due to inadequate flexibility. Some simple stretching will solve this, so once again, you don't get off the hook.
To adequately train for a marathon requires substantial time to slowly build up you weekly miles. To often the sport itself is blamed for improper training.
Some of the healthiest individuals are those that regularly undergo marathon training. So now that you know that it is in fact good for you there are no more excuses. So get out there and do some running.
Often the most common objection I hear in regards to marathon training is made by individuals who are out of shape and quite incapable of running at all. The statement that our bodies were not made to run long distances is not only untrue, but it is often a statement made to excuse the unwillingness to try.
The second most common misconception about running and marathon training is that it is bad for your joints. In fact, the exact opposite is true. Running long distances increases blood flow to your joints and increases cartilage repair. The most common issue that leads to joint problems is being overweight; and running fights obesity.
There are an entire group of myths about marathon running being bad for your cardiac health. Runners have strong, healthy, and efficient hearts that pump more blood with less effort. That's a proven fact so this myth is easily dispelled.
Marathon training has a high rate of minor injuries. However, this is most often due to improper techniques in training and does not necessarily imply that the marathon training itself is bad for you.
Running injuries are often due to two distinct factors. The first is increasing mileage too fast without giving your body time to adapt. This results in temporary and usually quick healing injuries.
The other injury often found in marathon training is pulled muscles. This is due to inadequate flexibility. Some simple stretching will solve this, so once again, you don't get off the hook.
To adequately train for a marathon requires substantial time to slowly build up you weekly miles. To often the sport itself is blamed for improper training.
Some of the healthiest individuals are those that regularly undergo marathon training. So now that you know that it is in fact good for you there are no more excuses. So get out there and do some running.
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