Is endurance exercise really good for us?

Daqster

Just reading about Jeff Polack there (director of Above The Rim, Fresh Prince of Bel Air) who died while out jogging and it got me thinking, is endurance exercise really good for us? I remember Anthony Quinn's son died jogging also and Steve Crams brother a few years back also.

Am not referring to enjoyable leisure type ways of getting our circulation going and our hearts pumping, such as walking, slowly swimming, sex, riding a bike but more strenuous walking, stair climbing while rushing, treadmill running, exercise biking at deliberately difficult gear settings, non leisurely hiking, intense jogging, running for long periods of time etc etc.

In short: is pushing our bodies into stressful states during "exercice" actually good for us?

My guess is no, it's not.

Of all the elderly people I know, who have a good quality of life, they tend to be the type that did feck all endurance type exercising. More they type to eat well and only partake in activities that raised their heart and pumped their circulation if it was of the relaxing type, such as walking in the park, cycling, maybe a little non competitive tennis, attended the odd swinging party, a little pool swimming etc etc.

Any of my parents friends that partook in jogging, running themselves ragged on threadmills and cycling stationary bikes, in a foolish attempt at getting "fit".. all died. Yup, they're all dead I'm afraid. Every last one of them, gone to meet their maker, as their couch potatoe partners were left behind to grieve alone, no doubt passing their time listing their loved ones left lycra for Just Eat vouchers on Adverts.

Seriousily though, there was actually one Doctor back in the 60s who actually warned against jogging if you were of average fitness. something unheard of today. I think this should be more common. People pushing themselves to do activities they feel uncomfortable doing should be warned against. I remember our GAA coach telling us to keep running until we puked, perhaps he just seen An Officer and A Gentleman or something, but who knows what damage people are doing to their bodeis, that will only manifest themselves down the line, by pushing the body that hard.

So what do you reckon. Do you think endurance exercise is really good for us?

Of do you think, as I do, that people should only do what they find almost effortess and perhaps just build from there without ever stressing the body to such a degree that you are really an adrenaline junkie, not a fitness freak you think you are.

/Lies down on sofa, that's enough movement for today.

SweepTheLeg

I run to keep my heart healthy and to not be fat.

wazky

Sitting on the sofa eating yourself stupid is a much a better plan, try do as little as possible to not strain the heart.

looking_around

I think this is something along the lines, your heart only has "x" amount of beats and when their used up, you die?

Hence why over doing the cardio is bad or something.
Idk, I'm not googling for evidence atm either but..

everything in moderation is the way to go.

Inspector Coptoor

High Intensity Interval Training is better than steady pace training, particularly on a bike or rower.

Jogging on hard surfaces for prolonged distances at heavy body weight is a recipe for cortisol releasing, joint destroying disaster.

Inspector Coptoor

looking_around wrote: »

everything in moderation is the way to go.

Including moderation

Teyla Emmagan

You don't maintain a body like this with exercise.

wazky

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

Including moderation

Who's this moderation they keep telling me to drink with?

Pen.Island

Humans can outlast any animal through endurance. FACT.

ScumLord

Humans are long range hunter gatherers, that would typically require spending the entire day tracking an animal or foraging in forests.

The vast majority of people don't use even half their potential.

thecatspjs

If you eat well, that is most of the battle and you will probably live a long life. Strenuous exercise is optional but ya gotta move a little bit every day.

PizzamanIRL

No, just because a few known people died doesn't mean it's bad for you now all of a sudden.

hmmm

In my hiking club we have a stack of older people who have been fit all their life. Some were only ever hikers, some ran marathons etc. All would be 'endurance' type people of one sort of another, used to walking or running long distances. They're the fittest group of older people I know, and most look at least 10 years younger than they actually are - certainly if I compare them to people their age who never did anything, their quality of life is a million times better.

Eating in moderation comes naturally if you exercise regularly. You'll put that bun down if you know you'll have to walk up a mountain with a bigger belly as a result.

Inventive User Name

looking_around wrote: »

I think this is something along the lines, your heart only has "x" amount of beats and when their used up, you die?

:rolleyes:

Wattle

I like exercise and I find it's good for maintaining positive mental health. I do swimming in short intense bursts and also go for a brisk walk every second day. I don't want to spend two hours working out cos I've other things I want to do. All I'm really aiming for is to get the sweat up and feel the positive buzz of exercise. I don't really understand people that do triathlons and the like. I know it's a personal challenge but it is a mental amount of exercise to do. I can't help thinking that such extremes are bad for the body in the long term.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

ScumLord wrote: »

Humans are long range hunter gatherers, that would typically require spending the entire day tracking an animal or foraging in forests.

The vast majority of people don't use even half their potential.

the majority of that was spurts of running, then stop, then run then stop then run then stop not run for 40 miles in one go, then do it again the week after

looking_around

Inventive User Name wrote: »

:rolleyes:

yes, you rolling eyes says alot about my sarcastic comment

Normally when the "endurance exercise" is brought up, it's about keeping your heart rate at a certain level for a length of time.

NuckingFacker

No, every person I know who was a serious athlete in their early years are fecked - knees gone, hips gone, arthritis..etc etc. I used to run cross-country, fairly seriously. My knees are ballixed and my hips are much the same - worn out. Moderate excercise, same as moderate drinking.

Pen.Island

NuckingFacker wrote: »

No, every person I know who was a serious athlete in their early years are fecked - knees gone, hips gone, arthritis..etc etc. I used to run cross-country, fairly seriously. My knees are ballixed and my hips are much the same - worn out. Moderate excercise, same as moderate drinking.

You know that if you ran without shoes that probably wouldn't happen.

Chefrio

Too much cardio damages your body, just look at the state of most long distance runners compared to 100m sprinters.

Killgore Trout

Jogging is hardly endurance exercise. It's a bit more strenuous than walking. Healthy adults should be able to walk for hours without calling it endurance.

JJJJNR

omega 3 is good for the heart, glucosamine is supposed to be good for the joints adults should take both.

Daqster

ScumLord wrote: »

Humans are long range hunter gatherers

They are in there arse. Sure, humans have done that, seen many documentaries where they followed them, but to imply that's our what we are, by design, is a nonsense. We're fruit eaters that have evolved to be eat an omnivorous diet, that's all.

Besides, even at that, not a chance we have to track animals long range to nourishes us. Nothing about humans suggest that we are made with long range tracking in mind.

entropi

Chefrio wrote: »

Too much cardio damages your body, just look at the state of most long distance runners compared to 100m sprinters.

That doesn't mean anything. They train for different events, are built different genetically and have natural ability for those events...that's why they look different.

Too much exercise, well this is almost a throwback to the "when is a man/woman too fit" threads over the last week. Do you want to exercise in moderation? Grand. Do you want to exercise for longer distances, putting in up to 140km a week? Go right ahead, as long as you are actually doing exercise that doesn't compromise your health.

Better to exercise than to just sit around on the couch for the most part.


The argument that humans are not meant for this kind of exercise is wrong. We were built for endurance and stamina with occasional bursts of speed.

Chefrio

entropi wrote: »

That doesn't mean anything. They train for different events, are built different genetically and have natural ability for those events...that's why they look different.

Too much exercise, well this is almost a throwback to the "when is a man/woman too fit" threads over the last week. Do you want to exercise in moderation? Grand. Do you want to exercise for longer distances, putting in up to 140km a week? Go right ahead, as long as you are actually doing exercise that doesn't compromise your health.

Better to exercise than to just sit around on the couch for the most part.


The argument that humans are not meant for this kind of exercise is wrong. We were built for endurance and stamina with occasional bursts of speed.

We may be capable of it, but it damages our bodies.

Reekwind

ScumLord wrote: »

Humans are long range hunter gatherers, that would typically require spending the entire day tracking an animal or foraging in forests.

The vast majority of people don't use even half their potential.

Yeah, that I don't accept. It may have been the case tens of thousands of years ago but for millennia most people have lived lives that do not require sprinting or long distance running. Walking and manual labour yes, both were very much part of the agricultural lifestyle, but not running. The latter hasn't been required of us on a daily basis since the Agricultural Revolution

pragmatic1

Pen.Island wrote: »

Humans can outlast any animal through endurance. FACT.

Yep. Humans are the endurance kings of the animal world.

Duck's hoop

Inspector Coptoor wrote: »

High Intensity Interval Training is better than steady pace training, particularly on a bike or rower.

Better than what? And for what?

There's a reason Bradley Wiggins will put tens of thousands of miles into the road in winter and spring.

NuckingFacker

pragmatic1 wrote: »

Yep. Humans are the endurance kings of the animal world.

I'm doubting that. I took the dog for a walk there and I was waay more knackered than it was after a couple of miles. That hairy fecker looked good for about another three or four.

El_Dangeroso

Ultra-endurance athletes do have scarring on their heart indicating that we are not supposed to run 300k in a week on a regular basis.

Having said that, how many of us are really in danger of too much exercise vs. too little? It's kinda like saying don't drink water because 5 litres of it a short space of time will kill you.

Theresalwaysone

If ever there was a thread to use as an IQ test...

This thread is to judging boardsies IQs as being a fan of 'How I met your mother' is to friend choosing/culling.