Friday, September 19, 2014

Don't Hang Up Your Running Shoes

Researchers at Stanford were surprised to learn that running remains a healthy means of exercise for folks well into their senior years. Running has a reputation for doing damage to joints in the body that can be cumulative over time. While it is true that if you have bad knees, running will certainly make things worse, people running with proper alignment, who take the time to stretch and warm up first, may actually see increased strength and mobility in their joints as they age.

Members of the group of runners studied by Stanford reached disability status some sixteen years later than those in their age group who were not running. There were also fewer incidences of heart attack, stroke, neurological disease, and infection. Of course, if running doesn’t do it for you, or if you have arthritis, bad knees or back issues that prevent you from running, then other forms of exercise, such as swimming, can provide you with similar results.

The key to keeping a healthy running routine is to make sure that you are taking care of your body. Over training should certainly be avoided. Take a day of rest between long runs, or cross-train so that you are breaking up running days with other forms of exercise. Give your body a rest if you have pain during your runs; replace running with low impact activity such as yoga, pilates or walking. And of course, get plenty of water and eat properly to fuel your body.

If you have knee problems or other issues that prevent you from developing a running routine, our medical providers are available to discuss an exercise routine that is appropriate for your health condition. Call us at 912-427-8433 today!

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