I enjoyed running, as a child. Then I grew boobs and hips and it became very awkward. I just bounce to much to run now. That and it makes me feel like the running is jouncing all my skin loose. Seriously, it feels like my cheeks (both sets) are being pulled off my body with each step.
I am from Czech/Germanic peasant stock. I put on muscle very easily. I enjoy exercise, I enjoy the feel of my body working. I will stick to the things I enjoy and that don’t make me feel awkward - hiking, backpacking, swimming, kayaking, dancing, weightlifting. To me, running just isn’t fluid enough. Too jarring.
This attitude towards life is very typical, and by typical, I mean epically stupid.
Life, someone said, keeps moving in one direction. You don’t get to go back in time and start saving when you lose your job, you don’t get to go back and train for 6 weeks when an emergency requires you to be able to run, swim, help lift something heavy or drag an injured person to safety. Being diagnosed with colon cancer or diabetes doesn’t mean you get to go back and eat a better diet and exercise more. The 20 minutes/day, 5 days a week of exercise that could prevent these and other problems, and will most definitely improve your quality of life in every area, will seem like a nothing.
But why would you need to make those 20 minutes/day of running? I like it, but not everyone does. The OP is insisting that everyone do their exercise in the form of running and that’s just ridiculous.
Exercise is good. The best way to ensure you get enough is to do something you enjoy. Many people don’t enjoy running.
Yep, people should stick to the form of exercise they enjoy. I hate running as exercise too. My regular workout is rowing machine followed by stair stepper machine. These give me upper then lower body workout along with good cardiovascular exertion and don’t involve any running or even any walking (walking is ok exercise for me but I enjoy the rowing/stair-stepper more).
I have a friend who is a lot like the OP. He attempts to convert everyone he knows into The Church of the One True Cardio™. He’s a bit obtuse about the idea that there could be more than one way to increase your heart rate. Every and all conversations with him end with him getting in the last word, “You need to run.”
I hate running just as much as I hate when other people tell me what I need. Count me in as one of those with asthma and flat feet. I’d rather gnaw my own leg off than go running for exercise. And, I can think of about a dozen different things that all have the same positive effects as the OP claims running has.
So the OP reminds me of a mormon or Jehovah’s Witness: It’s not good enough that you’re a Christian, you have to be *their *brand of Christian or you’re just shit. No thanks. Not a lemming. I’m not having it.
Similar for me. Except I use the stair climber and then weights. What’s nice is that I can entertain myself on the stair climber by watching TV.
My Wife is an IronMan. Her training schedules are intense and includes a lot of running. We live in an area that has snow at LEAST 6 months out of the year, so she often runs on a track indoors. Don’t know how she can stand it.
Sometimes you got to do that to catch people’s attention. Honestly, I don’t think running is the end-all be-all of exercise. I understand that there are other various forms of exercise that people enjoy more. What I didn’t understand was why people had such a visceral reaction towards running. I got my answer/s.
It doesn’t all have to be running, but it should include some. Being able to run is just a sensible ability to have. There are numerous potential situations where an ability to run can save your life, or save someone else’s. It is the original, most reasonable form of self-defense available. You don’t have to do a marathon or rep us in the Olympics.
As for the whole “I don’t like to run” thing: yeah, so? You’re a grown-up. You should be regularly performing all sorts of tasks you don’t particularly enjoy because you understand long-term benefits are more important than your immediate gratification. Eat your vegetables, get enough sleep and exercise.
I think I’ll risk it I’m pretty sure that doing my exercise bike and some fairly rigorous hiking will allow me to sprint if needed for a little while. How long - I don’t know - and if the time comes - I accepted the risks. As I do by not practicing swimming, not memorizing how to react to bear attacks, not training in knife fighting, not being able to climb a rope, etc…
I don’t see the long term benefit. To me the long term benefit is never having to run.
I assure you that I will get up and run if a bear ever chases after me.
But I see no need to put running in my already active schedule. I rather like not having joint problems and sprains, but besides that, it’s not necessary for me to adjunct my regime with shit I don’t want to do.
panaccione, there’s a word reserved for posters who post provocatively just for the sake of it. No one likes these people.
If moderate running for 20 minutes/week has an impact on your joints and causes spontaneous sprains - you had health problems before you started running.
As for the whole “I’ll run if <insert here> is chasing me” thing, see my previous post. You are not gifted with ability when the need arises, like yelling “Shazam!” If the longest run you practice is from the refrigerator to the sofa before the commercial is over, that’s pretty much all you’ve got to work with, period.
Some people DO have shitty joints. Or marginal joints. And I’ve heard about em. Getting to the point where basic walking sucks…well…it sure sounds like that sucks.
So, balance keeping those joints in as good a conditions as you can vs running to “save your life”.
How many people can say “shit, man I sure was glad I could run otherwise I’d been dead meat?”
I’ve kept in decent shape most of my life mostly by eating decently, not overeating and just generally being active on weekends (not high impact stuff but stuff that lasted ALL damn day, often Sat and Sunday).
Now that the Grim Reaper is starting to stop by every now and then, in hindsight I am so glad I did not get into exercise that wore the crap out of my joints.
Why is it so hard for you to imagine that physically fit people can quite easily have neurological/respiratory/orthopaedic conditions that make running an unwise activity for them to do? I put in almost three hours of exercise every day. I assure you that I have what it takes to run away from a goddamned bear on the off-hand chance the need should arise. And if I don’t, oh fucking well. I guess the bear wanted it more.
The thing is, if you’re already in shitty shape, running is a really lousy starter exercise. The extra weight that most sedentary people are carrying around can easily turn an invigorating jaunt into a painful sprain-fest, not to mention an irreparable joint-damage jamboree. And even if you do manage to get into shape, your cartelige still may not be able to handle running after a lifetime of increased strain from overweight.
First of all, even with a slightly bum knee, I could sprint 1/4 mile or so should the need arise, because I do the elliptical and bike. With sufficient motivation and adrenaline, I think that most healthy people would be able to run away from something for a 1/4 mile or so.
Besides, if we are going to use the “It may save your life one day” rationale, I’d be more inclined to take up swimming. Because I can imagine more realistic scenarios that involve me being tossed into the water than a bear or madman chasing me.
Adrenaline is a powerful drug. Catatonic patients–who are literally frozen for days on end–have been known to take off in full sprint in response to certain stimuli.
I’m pretty sure that doing my exercise bike and some fairly rigorous hiking will allow me to sprint if needed for a little while. How long - I don’t know - and if the time comes - I accepted the risks. As I do by not practicing swimming, not memorizing how to react to bear attacks, not training in knife fighting, not being able to climb a rope, etc…