Jogging for the first time in 40 years - sheer torture!

[tropo]

53 minutes ago, robblok said:

Small remark about the fat burning zone.. its debunked.

 

Yes you burn more fat at a lower pace (percentage).. but at  a higher pace you burn more calories.. and a lower percentage of that is fat.. but the actual percentage is still higher.. plus the burned calories that are not fat still have to be replaced..... so in the end its about the calories your burning not really the fat burning zone. Just look it up they can explain it better than I do. 

 

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/on-fitness/2009/03/03/the-fat-burning-zone-a-fitness-myth-debunked

What you're talking about is more fat burned, despite the lower percentage of total calories.

 

 

[tropo]

On 7/5/2017 at 7:52 AM, simon43 said:

 

 

 

Ah, what I was trying to say is that the contribution to losing fat is IMHO 60% from a 100% good diet and 40% from a 100% relevant exercise regime, ==> meaning that you will not lose the fat if you just exercise and don't adopt a good diet.

 

 

 

My point was that both are equally important.

 

Sure you can drop more bodyweight faster if you stop eating, but you'll also be dropping muscle. I would suggest that you're better off having more muscle with more fat than less of both. Muscle is extremely important as you age and holding onto it should be a primary goal.

[simon43]

Quote

 

Muscle is extremely important as you age and holding onto it should be a primary goal.
 

 

 

I fully agree.  In my case, I had a very puny upper body with minimal muscle.  So as I exercise to lose fat, I also work out in the gym to increase my muscle mass.  That strategy is working slowly - I can see a difference in my muscle mass.

 

But it doesn't change overnight.  I expect at least another year of gym work to get my upper body muscles (arms/chest/abs) to an acceptable level. 

 

[tropo]

5 hours ago, simon43 said:

 

I fully agree.  In my case, I had a very puny upper body with minimal muscle.  So as I exercise to lose fat, I also work out in the gym to increase my muscle mass.  That strategy is working slowly - I can see a difference in my muscle mass.

 

But it doesn't change overnight.  I expect at least another year of gym work to get my upper body muscles (arms/chest/abs) to an acceptable level. 

 

Yes, gaining muscle when you're old is more difficult than losing fat. It's easier to keep it than trying to get it back after it has disappeared.  

[simon43]

Another month has passed and here's my latest update about my path to fitness and a healthy body.

 

One month ago, I was treadmill-jogging 10 Km in 58 minutes, 25 seconds. Now my time is under 55 minutes.  I've been free of injury.  If I feel even the slightest discomfort on my legs, then I stop the run. 

 

I will (slowly) try to decrease that time.  I'm still running fartleks (5.5 minutes fast, 30 seconds slow). So there is room to improve my time. 

 

Last weekend, I went to BKK and bought a pair of road-jogging shoes (Asic Gel Kinsei 6).  I tried these out a few days ago on my first-ever road jog.  I managed 10 Km in under 60 minutes, with no stress or discomfort, (and no fartleks).

 

Oh, I also bought a new road/off-road bike, only 8,500 baht (plus the excess baggage charge on Bangkok Airways...)

 

So now my new regime is:

 

- Road-jog 5 Km before breakfast

- Cycle 7 Km to work

- After work, stop at the gym for about 45 minutes of upper-body and abs work

- Cycle 7 Km home

 

This doesn't tire me out at all and I can do the 10 Km runs at the weekend.

 

I'm still on my rabbit food diet (salads, fruit, oily fish, nuts, keffir milk, lean chicken, protein shake).  Suits me fine and the results speak for themselves.

 

When I finally get the last of the flab off, I'll post a photo :)

 

[Aussieroaming]

OP, well done. Making change is never easy, sticking to it is harder, maintaining it is a real challenge in itself. I too have lost 10kg this year after i stopped being lazy and started running again in January. My excuse last year was that i was too busy at work to run, but as always it was just an excuse. Luckily for me i had a history of running and i have always enjoyed it and in fact was fitter and weighed less than i do now just 2 years ago. Hence my comment about maintaining the routine.

 

I'm still not down to my target weight (3 kg to go) but i will make it over the next few months. Hopefully this time i will stick to my goal weight and my wife will stop calling me yoyo. At the very least I can at least fit into my old clothes again now.

[simon43]

At the very least I can at least fit into my old clothes again now.

 

Well done!

 

In my case, the old clothes were thrown/given away yonks ago.  But it has been a pleasure to purchase jeans and trousers with a 30 inch waist, instead of 34 inches.

 

I'm still not down to my target weight (3 kg to go)

 

Over the last 6 months, I decided that what my weight actually is, was not totally relevant. What's more important is the overall amount of fat and muscle.  So as I lost fat, I also exercised to increase my (puny) muscle bulk.  

 

Now, I don't seem to lose any weight at all, but I can see a visible decrease in fat and a visible increase in muscle bulk.

[TaveewatLim]

On 30/7/2560 at 9:30 PM, simon43 said:

Another month has passed and here's my latest update about my path to fitness and a healthy body.

 

One month ago, I was treadmill-jogging 10 Km in 58 minutes, 25 seconds. Now my time is under 55 minutes.  I've been free of injury.  If I feel even the slightest discomfort on my legs, then I stop the run. 

 

I will (slowly) try to decrease that time.  I'm still running fartleks (5.5 minutes fast, 30 seconds slow). So there is room to improve my time. 

 

Last weekend, I went to BKK and bought a pair of road-jogging shoes (Asic Gel Kinsei 6).  I tried these out a few days ago on my first-ever road jog.  I managed 10 Km in under 60 minutes, with no stress or discomfort, (and no fartleks).

 

Oh, I also bought a new road/off-road bike, only 8,500 baht (plus the excess baggage charge on Bangkok Airways...)

 

So now my new regime is:

 

- Road-jog 5 Km before breakfast

- Cycle 7 Km to work

- After work, stop at the gym for about 45 minutes of upper-body and abs work

- Cycle 7 Km home

 

This doesn't tire me out at all and I can do the 10 Km runs at the weekend.

 

I'm still on my rabbit food diet (salads, fruit, oily fish, nuts, keffir milk, lean chicken, protein shake).  Suits me fine and the results speak for themselves.

 

When I finally get the last of the flab off, I'll post a photo :)

 

Your pace is about 6 min/km, quite good for beginner.

Don't try to run fast and you should consider in crosstraining. I used to run at pace 5 min/km a lot and suffered from plantar fasiitis.

I had to stop running more than 2 years and shift to rowing.

When I row a lot I have problem from sore back, now I found that crosstraining is the best way to prevent injury.

 

[tropo]

14 hours ago, TaveewatLim said:

Your pace is about 6 min/km, quite good for beginner.

Don't try to run fast and you should consider in crosstraining. I used to run at pace 5 min/km a lot and suffered from plantar fasiitis.

I had to stop running more than 2 years and shift to rowing.

When I row a lot I have problem from sore back, now I found that crosstraining is the best way to prevent injury.

 

Going by your spm and pace, I would suggest you're rowing too slow and hard, thereby overworking your back and other muscles. I would suggest if you increase your stroke rate to the high 20's or low 30's and reduce your damper setting, your back may come right. When you row slowly the flywheel nearly stops during each stroke and it takes more force to get it moving again. You end up with the most stress on your lower back in the catch position when your back is stretched (flexed forward), a position where your back is most vulnerable to injury.

 

It's a bit like driving an engine at low rpm in high gears. If you raise the rpm, you won't stress your lower back nearly as much because you're keeping the flywheel spinning. Slow rpm rowing is specifically recommended for the development of more power, but you should do it sparingly. Going by your slow average stroke rate of about 22 at a pace near 2:00, you're caning your back all the time. I'm not at all surprised it's hurting.

[simon43]

Time for another monthly update about my progress in getting fit and losing the flab.  This will probably be my last regular update.

 

Why?  

 

Because I have achieved my goals!

 

At the beginning of this year (2017), I was about 10 Kg overweight, with a growing beer gut.  Although I enjoyed a little walking and cycling, I couldn't jog even 100 metres. I didn't go to the gym and definitely did not follow a good diet.  I was a couch potato.

 

After relocating for work to Naypyidaw (the new capital city of Myanmar), I had time and the will to change my life.  I was approaching 60 years old and I decided that it was better to be fit and slim before I passed that milestone, rather than struggle with bad health as I grew older.  (Of course, my fitness/health efforts don't make me immortal.  But according to the statistics, they drastically reduce my chances of having a heart attack, cancer, stroke etc).

 

So where am I now?

 

I have lost the flab.  By following a good diet and regular exercise, I lost about 10 - 11 Kg.  My fatness % is around 11-12%, with only a very small amount of fat over my middle ab. My abs are well-defined, because my gym work is increasing the mass of the underlying muscle.

 

In February, I couldn't manage to do a single pull-up or chin-up.  I can now do more than 20.

 

In February, I couldn't jog 100 metres.  I can now run 10 Km in under 50 minutes.  (I ditched the fartlek interval running last month, and gradually increased my pace. I'm running at 12 kph, with a quick spurt in the final km to bring me in under 50 minutes).

 

My food diet has totally changed.   I stick to  home-made salads, with vegetables, fruit, walnuts, chia and quora seeds, topped with a probiotic yoghurt.  I also eat some good Thai food each weekend, and have some soda drinks, ice-cream, red wine and dark chocolate throughout the week.

 

I avoid pre-packaged food.

 

Thanks to the good advice from Tropo, I now make my own keffir milk daily.

 

I cycle about 15 Km daily, to/from school.

 

I feel good! (Hopefully those won't be my final words as I'm hit by a bus...)

 

So now I will continue my fitness and diet lifestyle, but not with any further goals.  Rather, having achieved my initial goals, I certainly don't want to lose what I've attained through hard effort and strong will power.

 

I hope my success will encourage other forum members to follow a healthy lifestyle.  

 

My single piece of advice is to take everything slowly.  

 

Make very small changes to your diet, so that your stomach has time to contract and grow accustomed to the new diet/smaller servings of food.

 

Follow an exercise regime that is in tune with your body.  Forget the 'no pain no gain' motto.  Take it slowly and steadily - your body took years to get fat and out of condition.  You can't change this overnight.

[Moonlover]

 

On 2/25/2017 at 7:35 PM, JHolmesJr said:

Id exercise caution….the last thing you need is a new kneecap….costs a bomb.

 

Running places a lot of stress on older joints and if you're heavy you'll make it worse.

 

Id stick to gentler stuff like walking, swimming…..maybe even 2 half hour sets on a rowing machine.

 

And none if it works if you eat  like you always did.

Yes, I completely agree with you. Running places far too much strain on the knees and hips and the older one gets, the greater the risk.

 

I saw an interesting programme on the BBC recently about the 'anatomy of the Foot'. It was very revealing and showed that we actually run completely wrong.

 

We evolved to run on our toes and the front pad of our feet, not our heels. Our hunter/gatherer forbears ran this way in bare feet and some, such as the African Bushmen still do. Running this way greatly reduces the shock loading on the aforementioned joints. And, it turns out that all fleet-footed mammals, run on their toes, not their heels. Even an elephant walks on its toes. That really surprised me.

 

Walking and swimming are great. And it is possible to loose weight with these twos exercises alone. I've proved it. Give it try.

[Aussieroaming]

7 hours ago, Moonlover said:

 

Yes, I completely agree with you. Running places far too much strain on the knees and hips and the older one gets, the greater the risk.

 

I saw an interesting programme on the BBC recently about the 'anatomy of the Foot'. It was very revealing and showed that we actually run completely wrong.

 

We evolved to run on our toes and the front pad of our feet, not our heels. Our hunter/gatherer forbears ran this way in bare feet and some, such as the African Bushmen still do. Running this way greatly reduces the shock loading on the aforementioned joints. And, it turns out that all fleet-footed mammals, run on their toes, not their heels. Even an elephant walks on its toes. That really surprised me.

 

Walking and swimming are great. And it is possible to loose weight with these twos exercises alone. I've proved it. Give it try.

I've been running for more than 30 years (small periods excluded) and never had issues with my knees or joints. I think that the quality of running footwear these days helps a lot. I did however have a lot of both hip and knee trouble when using a bike, most likely due to me not getting the bike tailored to my height and leg length. I also dislocated my hip playing rugby, which recovered over a period of 12 months. I think there might be a genetic pre-disposition to some people suffering with knee and other joint issues more than others and they definitely shouldn't run, however not all people fit that stereotype.

[simon43]

...however not all people fit that stereotype.

 

I tend to agree.  When I started jogging earlier this year, several forum members warned me that my knees would be destroyed, I would be permanently disabled, oh - I would also have a massive heart attack.

 

Still waiting for all those events.  I wear very good running shoes, never any knee or leg pain, heart tests at the hospital all fine blah blah blah.

 

Sometimes I think people spin these tales because they want to find an excuse not to exercise :)

[tropo]

5 hours ago, Aussieroaming said:

I've been running for more than 30 years (small periods excluded) and never had issues with my knees or joints. I think that the quality of running footwear these days helps a lot. I did however have a lot of both hip and knee trouble when using a bike, most likely due to me not getting the bike tailored to my height and leg length. I also dislocated my hip playing rugby, which recovered over a period of 12 months. I think there might be a genetic pre-disposition to some people suffering with knee and other joint issues more than others and they definitely shouldn't run, however not all people fit that stereotype.

I don't think anything ruins knees, hips, ankles, and feet like running. It doesn't really matter that you've been running for 30 years with your knees or joints still healthy - you're in the minority. Just take a look in the park and see all the people wearing ankle and knee bandages, and obviously running injured. You could also be a lightweight, which makes a huge difference.

 

Having said that, there's a big difference between continuing to run for 30 years to starting up after 40 years of no running, as the OP has done. If I hadn't run for 40 years, I wouldn't for the next 40 either. Why start when the risk of injury is much higher. There are far better ways to stay fit when you're older. If someone insists on starting up after 40 years, they should get their bone density and joints checked out very carefully by a competent orthopaedic surgeon because that's the time of life that bone density often drops off very quickly.

[tropo]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

 

 

 

I tend to agree.  When I started jogging earlier this year, several forum members warned me that my knees would be destroyed, I would be permanently disabled, oh - I would also have a massive heart attack.

 

Still waiting for all those events.  I wear very good running shoes, never any knee or leg pain, heart tests at the hospital all fine blah blah blah.

 

Sometimes I think people spin these tales because they want to find an excuse not to exercise :)

Oh, come on... I'm not spinning tales - it's all common sense. Running is a high impact activity which makes it a risky activity. You can get as much cardio benefit and more strength benefits from other exercises that are not high impact. Sure, running is cheap, I'll give it that - just put on some shoes and go! My activities require quite a bit of investment, but I'm looking for the best way to get fit, not the cheapest way.

 

It's your prerogative to ignore the "tales" and continue to run. You haven't done it for long, so there's no need to be overconfident and insult the people who are giving you advice. (I'm not looking for any excuse not to exercise as I exercise nearly every day). If you start a thread and ask for advice you won't always get the advice you want to hear, and in exercise threads people will always hotly debate their own ideas. It's all good IMO.

[Bung]

I tried jogging once but all the ice kept falling out of my glass. 

[simon43]

 ... so there's no need to be overconfident and insult the people who are giving you advice. 

 

Absolutely not insulting them, and I knew that my comment would irritate some people :)

 

But it seems to me that there are many people walking around with leg/knee/ankle injuries because they wore the wrong type of shoe or pushed themselves too hard or performed the exercise in the wrong manner etc.  Injury through ignorance (not meaning 'stupid', but injury because they failed to do their homework first).

 

I approached my fitness program in a very methodical manner, having many hospital tests to confirm that their were no problems with my health and heart.  I researched the type of gait that I had and purchased the correct type of running shoe.  I researched the type of leg injuries that could occur and studied the correct running style that I should follow.  I never pushed myself too far - if I felt the slightest twinge of pain, then I stopped the exercise and rested for a few days.

 

Perhaps I've been lucky?  Who knows.  We are all different, and my fitness regime works for me.

 

 

[TaveewatLim]

22 hours ago, Moonlover said:

We evolved to run on our toes and the front pad of our feet, not our heels. Our hunter/gatherer forbears ran this way in bare feet and some, such as the African Bushmen still do. Running this way greatly reduces the shock loading on the aforementioned joints. And, it turns out that all fleet-footed mammals, run on their toes, not their heels.

I'd to suffer from plantarfasiitis because I run incorrectly.

I just found a small gadget that help me to correct my running form.

It's "Milestone pod".It's a little foot pod which you just attach to your shoe and it can sync to your smartphone via bluetooth.

It's not only give your distance or pace but it still give you others data such as cadance, ground contact, stride length, rate of impact.

You can use all of this informations to correct your running form and choose your proper shoes.

[simon43]

That looks a very useful little device.  So I tried to buy one online from their webpage.

 

"Sorry, we do not ship to Myanmar...."  

 

 

 

[TaveewatLim]

28 minutes ago, simon43 said:

"Sorry, we do not ship to Myanmar...."  

Did you try order from ebay or amazon?

[Aussieroaming]

11 hours ago, tropo said:

I don't think anything ruins knees, hips, ankles, and feet like running. It doesn't really matter that you've been running for 30 years with your knees or joints still healthy - you're in the minority. Just take a look in the park and see all the people wearing ankle and knee bandages, and obviously running injured. You could also be a lightweight, which makes a huge difference.

 

Having said that, there's a big difference between continuing to run for 30 years to starting up after 40 years of no running, as the OP has done. If I hadn't run for 40 years, I wouldn't for the next 40 either. Why start when the risk of injury is much higher. There are far better ways to stay fit when you're older. If someone insists on starting up after 40 years, they should get their bone density and joints checked out very carefully by a competent orthopaedic surgeon because that's the time of life that bone density often drops off very quickly.

I'm 6'2" and weigh 90 odd kg. As for the injury debate, i think its best that we agree that our opinions differ.

[Aussieroaming]

11 hours ago, tropo said:

Oh, come on... I'm not spinning tales - it's all common sense. Running is a high impact activity which makes it a risky activity. You can get as much cardio benefit and more strength benefits from other exercises that are not high impact. Sure, running is cheap, I'll give it that - just put on some shoes and go! My activities require quite a bit of investment, but I'm looking for the best way to get fit, not the cheapest way.

 

It's your prerogative to ignore the "tales" and continue to run. You haven't done it for long, so there's no need to be overconfident and insult the people who are giving you advice. (I'm not looking for any excuse not to exercise as I exercise nearly every day). If you start a thread and ask for advice you won't always get the advice you want to hear, and in exercise threads people will always hotly debate their own ideas. It's all good IMO.

The only injuries that I have ever suffered because of running were rolled ankles and dehydration related, both at least partially self inflicted. I do agree with Tropo that prior to resuming exercise that medical assessments are helpful and i have always maintained that cross training with other aerobic and anaerobic sports is the best. I think I was at peak fitness when i was doing triathlon training, nothing has ever come close to matching the positive effect that combining running, cycling and swimming had and it was the swimming that seems to be the biggest influence.

[VocalNeal]

12 minutes ago, Aussieroaming said:

My activities require quite a bit of investment, but I'm looking for the best way to get fit, not the cheapest way.

 

Join the Hash House Harriers. Good for fitness and good for the soul. But yes not the cheapest.

 

1 hour ago, TaveewatLim said:

I'd to suffer from plantarfasiitis because I run incorrectly.

Having also suffered from this I would say not because you run incorrectly but because you have or use the wrong shoe.

[tropo]

5 hours ago, simon43 said:

 

 

 

Absolutely not insulting them, and I knew that my comment would irritate some people :)

 

But it seems to me that there are many people walking around with leg/knee/ankle injuries because they wore the wrong type of shoe or pushed themselves too hard or performed the exercise in the wrong manner etc.  Injury through ignorance (not meaning 'stupid', but injury because they failed to do their homework first).

 

I approached my fitness program in a very methodical manner, having many hospital tests to confirm that their were no problems with my health and heart.  I researched the type of gait that I had and purchased the correct type of running shoe.  I researched the type of leg injuries that could occur and studied the correct running style that I should follow.  I never pushed myself too far - if I felt the slightest twinge of pain, then I stopped the exercise and rested for a few days.

 

Perhaps I've been lucky?  Who knows.  We are all different, and my fitness regime works for me.

 

 

LOL> considering I'm one of the most vocal anti-running members on this thread - it was directed at me. It was a silly comment - saying that people who are against running are looking for excuses not to exercise.

 

What you really have to ask yourself is - why am I running? You know it's high impact, therefore you know the risk is higher than it is for low impact exercises.

 

Running is so inferior to other forms of exercise I'm surprised anyone is doing it, especially at your age. If you gave me a brand new set of knees and took 30 years off my age, I still wouldn't run. There are just so many better ways to get fit. Ways that stress the cardio vascular system AND develop strength at the same time. 

 

You get nothing out of running that you can't get from other low-risk exercises. In actual fact, you get far less. It's catabolic, meaning it's a good way to lose muscle mass. Sarcopenia is a major problem for people of your (our) age.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcopenia

 

You should be doing everything you can to hold onto what muscle mass you have rather than engage in exercises that can reduce it. If you're an avid runner, body weight (fat and muscle) is your enemy and naturally tries to reduce it. There's no point carrying around excess baggage.

 

Let's get to the major problem - minerals and bone density. If you get injured while running it may have nothing to do with your exercise form or the quality of your shoes. It could be that your skeleton and joints are losing its strength. I would say that's a near certainty at your age. Most of the soil our food is grown in is mineral deficient, so even if you eat well you won't be getting the minerals you need to keep your skeleton strong and healthy. The salt most people eat is processed and pure sodium chloride. All the important minerals have been processed out. In addition to that, 2% of table salt consists of unhealthy added chemicals (free flowing agents). You need the magnesium, potassium, calcium and many other trace minerals that have been taken out.

 

In Israel arthritis is rare. Why? Israel has the highest soil boron levels in the world. It's not because they are all runners, but because they get the boron necessary for strong joints in the food they eat.

 

If you insist on continuing to run, you should have a bone density scan (DEXA). Most good hospitals will perform this test. In fact, even if you don't run you should have it tested.

 

 

 

 

[tropo]

2 hours ago, Aussieroaming said:

The only injuries that I have ever suffered because of running were rolled ankles and dehydration related, both at least partially self inflicted.  

1

Of course, when discussing this, some people who have managed to run for decades will come out to defend running. We're always talking in general terms when discussing risks. Some people manage to avoid problems. They are usually lightweight people and maybe their diet is superior... and maybe they need another decade of running before they experience problems.

 

Even if running caused no injuries, I wouldn't run. That's not the reason I've never been a runner. I didn't get injured and then stop running. I just see it as a waste of energy when you could be doing so much more with other forms of exercise. 

 

 

[simon43]

considering I'm one of the most vocal anti-running members on this thread - it was directed at me

 

Actually Tropo, I can assure you that it wasn't directed at you at all - I value your opinions and experience very much, even if we disagree on some points.

 

The DEXA scan to check bone density is a very good idea, especially for us older folks.

 

As for why I am running.  I can say that although I wasn't at all keen on jogging when I started my fitness program, I now enjoy jogging for 5 Km most days, (in the same way as I enjoy leisurely  cycling every day). I don't jog myself to exhaustion or pain or racing heart rate.

[tropo]

2 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

 

4 hours ago, TaveewatLim said:

I'd to suffer from plantarfasiitis because I run incorrectly.

Having also suffered from this I would say not because you run incorrectly but because you have or use the wrong shoe.

I agree on that. I got bad plantar fasciitis from walking around the house for months with the wrong flip flops. They weren't flat. It is hard to get rid of because we need our feet and it's hard to give them a break.

[simon43]

Did you try order from ebay or amazon?

 

Amazon doesn't ship to Myanmar.

Ebay doesn't accept Myanmar accounts

 

I'm used to these types of problems when trying to order from Myanmar.  I can ask my ex in Phuket to order it and then post it to me.

[TKDfella]

15 minutes ago, tropo said:

LOL> considering I'm one of the most vocal anti-running members on this thread - it was directed at me. It was a silly comment - saying that people who are against running are looking for excuses not to exercise.

 

What you really have to ask yourself is - why am I running? You know it's high impact, therefore you know the risk is higher than it is for low impact exercises.

 

Running is so inferior to other forms of exercise I'm surprised anyone is doing it, especially at your age. If you gave me a brand new set of knees and took 30 years off my age, I still wouldn't run. There are just so many better ways to get fit. Ways that stress the cardio vascular system AND develop strength at the same time. 

 

You get nothing out of running that you can't get from other low-risk exercises. In actual fact, you get far less. It's catabolic, meaning it's a good way to lose muscle mass. Sarcopenia is a major problem for people of your (our) age.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcopenia

 

You should be doing everything you can to hold onto what muscle mass you have rather than engage in exercises that can reduce it. If you're an avid runner, body weight (fat and muscle) is your enemy and naturally tries to reduce it. There's no point carrying around excess baggage.

 

Let's get to the major problem - minerals and bone density. If you get injured while running it may have nothing to do with your exercise form or the quality of your shoes. It could be that your skeleton and joints are losing its strength. I would say that's a near certainty at your age. Most of the soil our food is grown in is mineral deficient, so even if you eat well you won't be getting the minerals you need to keep your skeleton strong and healthy. The salt most people eat is processed and pure sodium chloride. All the important minerals have been processed out. In addition to that, 2% of table salt consists of unhealthy added chemicals (free flowing agents). You need the magnesium, potassium, calcium and many other trace minerals that have been taken out.

 

In Israel arthritis is rare. Why? Israel has the highest soil boron levels in the world. It's not because they are all runners, but because they get the boron necessary for strong joints in the food they eat.

 

If you insist on continuing to run, you should have a bone density scan (DEXA). Most good hospitals will perform this test. In fact, even if you don't run you should have it tested.

 

 

 

 

I am not going to say running for exercise is bad but it is 'one dimensional'. That is one is in the same position for a long period (depends on distance of course) and that it's not a good idea to exercise simply in one position. Running as an exercise should be mixed with just as much time (if not more) to twisting, stretching, bending in all 3 dimensions. Then there is warm up which one should always do  and what is just as important, warm down. Get the body and limbs used to different exercise positions as this will also facilitate less injury, strengthen ligaments etc. Do Achilles Tendon and Bursa exercises to lessen the risk of inflammation (particularly for women who wear high heels during the day).

[transam]

Jogging ain't good for older folk, probably not for young folk either.....