EOD - Running

Today's Exercise of the Day is not really a specific exercise but is something some people do religiously and that is running. The video here is a documentary on some women in Washington, D.C. and how running has impacted their life.

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Running is interesting to me. Yes, it is healthy for you in that it increases your lung capacity, lowers your resting heart rate and helps you burn calories. All of these are phenomenal.

But there are a lot of risks involved with running. Just remember what happened to the first person who ran what is now called a marathon, HE DIED on the spot after giving the message he was sent to deliver.
"The marathon is named after a town in Greece which was the site of the battle of Marathon in 490 BC. The battle was won by the Athenian army which defeated the Persians. After the victory, a messenger named Phidippides ran from Marathon to Athens, a distance of 26.2 miles, to announce the victory, after which, as the story goes, he keeled over and died. (Pretty much how most folks feel after having completed a marathon!)" ~Thank you answers.com

Running can also be extremely rough on your major joins, specifically the knees especially if you are overweight. Running short distances (3 miles or less) is the best way to go. But for distance runner, sometimes the pain can be excruciating after a long run. This is where foam rolling comes in handy. (I will have an EOD on foam rolling in the coming days). Foam rolling takes out all of the knots in your IT Band (outside of your leg) which is what causes pressure in the knee and all the pain you feel. This article in runnersworld explains a little more about running. But just remember the source. This is a website to convince people to run more.

Also, one last helpful hint. DO NOT run everyday. Your body needs rest and time to heel. Running does break muscles down and muscles need rest. Try to only run 4-5 days a week MAX. Check out this website on a 16-week plan to get ready for a marathon. Notice that they never say to run more then 4 days a week. If you do run, here is a great website to create a route and see the distance wherever you plan on running.

Lastly, don't forget to stretch before and after you run and always stay hydrated with enough water.