Is endurance exercise really good for us?

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.