High Intensity Exercise may be Dangerous

[Negin]

Thought to share this.

The older I get, the more I realize that I should really and truly stick with walking, yoga, swimming, etc. Now and again, I start to doubt myself and think that I need to do heavy-duty cardio like I did when I was younger. No more. I really need to stop doubting myself. High-intensity will aggravate the knee problems that I already have and may worsen hypertension, etc. I just don't think that it's good for me anymore. I have to admit that now and again, I miss my daily runs, but then common sense kicks in. Obviously, one needs to just listen to one's body.

[Ottakee]

I do know that my dh was cleared by the doctor to do some intensive weight training, etc. and 2 days later during a heavy workout he had a heart attack. We thought it was just a pulled muscle so it was about 36 hours before I convinced him to go to the hospital where he was in surgery in less than an hour. Thankfully he has no long lasting damage and is doing very well.

 

I am all about MODERATION---in exercise, diet, etc.

 

I just saw the cardiologist last week as I had PDA and VSD open heart surgery at age 3. She said that I had the heart rate and blood pressure of an athlete. I lead an active lifestyle with doing horse chores 3 x day, walking, doing exercise videos, etc. but sadly I don't have the body of an athlete.....unless you count sumo wrestler :-)

 

My friend who is in her early 50s has basically given up running as it really bothers her knee. We are now trying to walk several times a week and she goes to a gym a few days a week.

[Laura Corin]

My mother is 89 this year. Last time she saw her doctor, she was complimented on having a heart of a fifty-year-old. She's just always been moderate: got a bit plump, but not excessively fat; ate lots of treats but her diet mostly consisted of veg, whole grains and limited meat; enjoyed working in her garden and ran a lot of errands on foot.

 

What I find interesting about Andrew Marr is that he - as far as I know - was a reasonably fit man. He wasn't someone exercising over-vigorously who was in very poor shape.

 

Laura

[Joyofsixreboot]

But I like to.

[Prairie~Phlox]

I'm 38 and last summer was doing Chalean Extreme (was into the 3rd month) and had a dissection in my left circumflux artery causing a heart attack. Two stents later, I will never lift heavy again, but do still workout and do strength with light weights. I will never know if it was due to fitness, but am guessing it was.

[MIch elle]

Watch the TED talk linked in this article and then you will NEVER want to run long distance again!

 

http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/12/21/extreme-endurance-cardio.aspx

[Prairie~Phlox]

Whoa.

 

 

 

Yep, took them two days to figure out what was going on because I wasn't having "normal" heart attack symptoms.

[Tiramisu]

I'm 38 and last summer was doing Chalean Extreme (was into the 3rd month) and had a dissection in my left circumflux artery causing a heart attack. Two stents later, I will never lift heavy again, but do still workout and do strength with light weights. I will never know if it was due to fitness, but am guessing it was.

 

 

I'm curious if you've ever been screened for a connective tissue disorder. This can happen in people with some types of Marfan and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. They're not supposed to do intense exercise for this reason, and need to keep their blood pressure down and get regular echocardiograms.

[Prairie~Phlox]

I'm curious if you've ever been screened for a connective tissue disorder. This can happen in people with some types of Marfan and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. They're not supposed to do intense exercise for this reason, and need to keep their blood pressure down and get regular echocardiograms.

 

 

 

Not before, but they did a bunch of tests afterwards and nothing came back showing anything. I have heard of this, there's a Facebook group of SCAD (Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection) survivors and several people do have it on there. I do believe mine was due to the strenuous lifting, thought two different doctors did not agree, one thought it could have been and one thought, no it was not. I did not think it was a problem before it happened, but that was the only thing that could have made it happen, so in my mind, I'm convinced that's what it was.

[Prairie~Phlox]

I was having on and off chest pains, but they would just come and go and was not that bad. I started having stomach pains and could not eat By the end, I felt like I was in labor. When it first started at home, I did have tight pains in my chest, I thought it was pulled muscles, but I got nauseous and threw up before going to the ER.

[Laurie4b]

Yeah, I stopped running several years ago when I tore a small tendon in my ankle which attaches to the Achilles. I was on crutches for a while, which then gave me a shoulder problem, which developed into frozen shoulder. I was out of exercising for about 6 months. I figured at that point that walking was better for me than running, even if it wasn't quite as vigorous. One just gets injured more easily as one ages.

[AngieW in Texas]

Interesting TED Talk. I have to watch what I do because of my knees. I walk almost 2 miles every morning with the dog. I try to keep moving most of the time. When I am sitting, I try to at least be bouncing my legs up and down or something.

 

I used to go to the gym 4x/week for a total of about 6 hours (1 hour each on Tu/Th and 2 hours each on Sa/Su). I had to stop that when life got too busy. I am trying to fit time for the gym back in my schedule, but I'm more concerned with doing weights than with cardio.

[momtokea]

This is interesting, although not surprising. Thank you so much for posting it.

 

I don't think the body is meant for extremes. You can't sit at a desk all day and then go spend an hour exercising until you can't stand it anymore. Our bodies our meant for steady movement, not extreme exertion in fits. Think farm work from the olden days. Unfortunately, our society today isn't set up that way.

 

The same goes for dieting. Our bodies are meant to have a steady, healthy diet. Not the up and down weight changes, health food kicks and junk food binges that some people get into. But that's another topic.

[LG Gone Wild]

I didn't find that article particularly informative or helpful. For instance, it is the exception not the rule that people die in marathon running. Is marathon running dangerous? It is the exception and not the rule that some one has a stroke while using a rowing machine.

 

HIIT mimics flight and fight responses so it is not some foreign modality.

[Critterfixer]

The way I figure it, sitting down is pretty dangerous, too. I've got a few more injuries than I'd like from running my tail off, but I'm sure glad my tail is smaller than it was, and I feel much better. So I keep on running.

But then, my intensity is slightly above average turtle, up from pathetic snail when I started. I doubt I'll ever be flirting with high intensity.

[Ravin]

For me, the point of exercising is making sure I'm fit enough to do the activities I enjoy. I do not enjoy sitting around doing nothing all the time or walking/biking/climbing nowhere. I detest gyms. I've always preferred just walking/biking integrated into my commute over official exercise time.

[ebunny]

Interesting article. The last paragraph did mention that the likely cause of death could have been because of family history.

 

Fwiw, my stamina and endurance skyrocketed after HIIT. My lungs got stronger (prone to Bronchial Asthma). I could take deeper breaths without coughing.

But, I don't do HIIT more than twice a week. And only for 20 min each time.

 

IMO, every person has a 'goldilocks' zone of exercise. The problem is finding out exactly what amount and kind of exercise gives you the most benefits without any injuries. For me, yoga+walking everyday with HIIT occasionally seems to the 'just right' combination, for now.

 

[Truscifi]

Watch the TED talk linked in this article and then you will NEVER want to run long distance again!

 

http://fitness.merco...nce-cardio.aspx

 

 

I don't want to run long distance now. Or short distance, for that matter. :tongue_smilie:

 

Though I suppose some of my martial arts workouts are high intensity. Especially the sparring class.

[VeganCupcake]

Did anyone see the Michael Mosley documentary on PBS last week about exercise? He tried out HIT for 3 intervals of 20 seconds, for a total of 1 minute, three times a week, for a weekly total of 3 minutes of high intensity exercise. I don't want to give the whole thing away, so if you want, you can watch the whole thing on PBS.org here: http://video.pbs.org/video/2364989581

[delaney]

I don't understand Crossfit. Lifting huge weights and swinging stuff around? It's the latest fad in exercise around here and to me it just seems to needlessly extreme.

[Soror]

I don't think strokes are heart attacks are usual things but from what I've read injuries are fairly common for those who run lots of miles. I like the idea of Crossfit and have done it some myself but I do think that it can be dangerous as well. It has a culture that values pushing yourself to the limit (working out so hard you puke is often lauded). I'm hearing more reports of injuries though and I think that will only grow as it becomes more mainstream- of course it is highly dependent on the couches as well. There are too many extreme programs these days and I think it does the body often more harm than good to go from 0-60. Regardless one can do what they want but whether or not it is optimal for our body is another question. What the optimal level is though is going to vary but if one undertakes a sport or level of sport that generally leads to injury one should not be surprised to become injured.

[Lisbeth]

I always notice how many marathon runners seem older than their ages. I know lower oxidative damage from a more efficient metabolism while at rest is a maj benefit of being in shape. But you get more oxidative damage while exercising, which would argue for just enough exercising to be in ideal shape while at rest.

[sbgrace]

So is HIIT itself dangerous? I can't tell from the links.

 

My husband does HIIT (running) but just every other day for about 30 minutes total each time, including the walking between sprint bursts. Is it the intense burst of activity in HIIT alone that is dangerous?

[6packofun]

I think that too often "extreme" exercise is paired with extreme dieting in some way as a weight loss "program", not usually recommended or monitored by a doctor and this is a huge problem, too! I don't think I do extremely intense exercise, but I do spin twice a week, run/walk 2-3x, and do simple strength training, too. I'm trying to eat between 1200-1300 calories per day and yet I'm not strict about it and I know what I'm putting into my body is good FUEL. I'm having great success with weight loss, finally, because I think I've found the right balance for me. But many people don't balance all the facets of a healthy lifestyle and when one is out of whack, there seem to be issues, breakdowns in health rather than strength.

 

People are getting into P90X or Crossfit and all these other fad--not to say ineffective!--programs without making sure they are fit enough to do it in the first place. I've heard many stories of people finding out they have some sort of condition that was only fully realized after they pushed themselves to the limit in their exercise. Would they have found it otherwise? Hard to say. I just don't know of anyone starting these programs who actually followed the advice to see their doctor first!

[Hikin' Mama]

In spite of that, I will stick with my intense exercise. I love it. It keeps me mentally healthy. It keeps me fit for the things I love to do.

[Onceuponatime]

My 27yo daughter has done high impact aerobics since she was 15yo. This month she is getting vein surgery for painful varicose veins and was told the aerobics are responsible for the condition of her veins. No more High intensity exercise for her.

[I.Dup.]

I transcribe for an orthopedic surgeon and there are lots of injuries due to high intensity exercise. I also agree that runners often look older than their ages. It makes sense with what gravity does when combined with the pounding. And sun exposure.

[I.Dup.]

Did anyone see the Michael Mosley documentary on PBS last week about exercise? He tried out HIT for 3 intervals of 20 seconds, for a total of 1 minute, three times a week, for a weekly total of 3 minutes of high intensity exercise. I don't want to give the whole thing away, so if you want, you can watch the whole thing on PBS.org here: http://video.pbs.org/video/2364989581

 

 

Watching this now- thanks for posting! I am guessing he's going to get really good benefits from doing 3 minutes a week? That would be awesome, I can do that!! LOL

 

Also, my husband's young, beautiful cousin had a terrible stroke last year after starting a boot camp at her local gym. She had the stroke in the gym. She was in a coma for a long time, she can no longer work as a nurse, she needed multiple surgeries after getting infections in her skull from the first surgery, it was awful. I think at least 50% of it was due to the fact that she was on the pill, but the exercise seemed to trigger the stroke.

 

But 3 minutes a week, I can do that! :lol: Still watching...

[KungFuPanda]

Blech. I HAD to run in the Army. NEVER liked it. One day I took one wrong step on a trail run and tore my meniscus. That knee STILL gets on my nerves 20 years later.

 

Now I dance 8-10 hours a week to stay fit and I curse my running days when my knee gets twingy.

[Mom-ninja.]

People are getting into P90X or Crossfit and all these other fad--not to say ineffective!--programs without making sure they are fit enough to do it in the first place. I've heard many stories of people finding out they have some sort of condition that was only fully realized after they pushed themselves to the limit in their exercise. Would they have found it otherwise? Hard to say. I just don't know of anyone starting these programs who actually followed the advice to see their doctor first!

 

I agree. People can't *start* there. They need to work up to that level.

 

My 27yo daughter has done high impact aerobics since she was 15yo. This month she is getting vein surgery for painful varicose veins and was told the aerobics are responsible for the condition of her veins. No more High intensity exercise for her.

 

Compression pants. Some people even need them for walking/jogging. Old Navy sells compression pants that aren't $100 a pair. She may want to get some even for light exercise.

 

 

I love my HIIT workouts. However, I don't do it every day. I listen to my body. I've learned when to push and when to ease up. If I can still SMILE and I still feel good albeit working hard...very hard...I keep going. If I think "I'm going to die. I can't breath. I can't focus," I STOP and slow down. I switch to walking and taking deep breaths.

 

This morning I did an intense workout, but I loved every minute (16 minutes with a 2 min active rest) of it. When a move became too much and I listened to my inner voice that said, "Whoa, ease up," and I moderated as needed. Then I did strength training. I have no shame in dropping my weights if I feel pain or extreme discomfort. I don't care if others are doing the exercise with 15lbs and I have to drop my 3 lbs weights. I listen to my body.

 

I have nerve damage from autoimmune disease. My cardiologist said that my routine of light/moderate/HIIT exercising each week is perfect for my heart. He said it gives my heart conditioning to handle slow and fast rates with minimal stress.

 

For the record, I don't think you'll ever catch me doing a marathon. I like running short distances. By short I'm talking like 1 mile....maybe 2 around once a week or once in 2 weeks. :D I'd much rather pop in a lovely Denise Austen DVD. She has got the balance of intensity worked out rather well. She's 55...have you seen her? She's gorgeous. Plus, she tells me I'm worth it. :p

[Wendi]

It's all very conflicting and confusing. Being sedentary is incredibly dangerous. Very high intensity exercise can be very dangerous, and it seems it's hard to know who's at risk ahead of time. It seems safest to make sure you are checked out by a doctor regularly, pay attention to your body, and engage in regular moderate-intensity exercise.

 

I lift weights 2-3 times a week, and do cardio (about an hour) 4-5 times a week. Plus I go on more leisurely shorter walks with the dog. When I do cardio, it's moderate intensity. I've also been checked out by a doctor in the past (EKG, echocardiogram, stress test).

 

Really, though, if you look at statistics, I'm sure WAY more people die of health problems related to being sedentary than die from rowing machines or marathons. Also, sometimes people who are usually sedentary suffer heart attacks from doing bursts of strenuous activity that they weren't in condition for (shoveling snow, for example).

[Amy in TX]

For me, the point of exercising is making sure I'm fit enough to do the activities I enjoy. I do not enjoy sitting around doing nothing all the time or walking/biking/climbing nowhere. I detest gyms. I've always preferred just walking/biking integrated into my commute over official exercise time.

 

 

Same here. I loathe "exercise," and where I live (suburban Houston) it's literally impossible to walk or bike to any of the places I need to go. So I force myself to exercise.

[VeganCupcake]

 

Watching this now- thanks for posting! I am guessing he's going to get really good benefits from doing 3 minutes a week? That would be awesome, I can do that!! LOL

 

Also, my husband's young, beautiful cousin had a terrible stroke last year after starting a boot camp at her local gym. She had the stroke in the gym. She was in a coma for a long time, she can no longer work as a nurse, she needed multiple surgeries after getting infections in her skull from the first surgery, it was awful. I think at least 50% of it was due to the fact that she was on the pill, but the exercise seemed to trigger the stroke.

 

But 3 minutes a week, I can do that! :lol: Still watching...

 

 

It is very interesting. :) I'm thinking of seeing if my DH will try it.

 

Also interesting is the concept of NEAT: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. And of course, the idea that the chair is a killer. Even 60 minutes of activity in a sedentary day (which is more than a lot of people do!) is not really ideal. Ideal is being consistently active all day long.

[Lisa R.]

 

Really, though, if you look at statistics, I'm sure WAY more people die of health problems related to being sedentary than die from rowing machines or marathons. Also, sometimes people who are usually sedentary suffer heart attacks from doing bursts of strenuous activity that they weren't in condition for (shoveling snow, for example).

 

 

I agree. I've been jogging for over five years now. Interestingly, the people who caution me about jogging (got to watch your knees!) are the ones who don't do any exercise. You know, my knees could cause me problems if I don't use them enough too.

 

Of course we should use common sense while exercising. If this article reaches those who desire to stay in shape and need a reminder to show caution, it is a good thing. However, oftentimes the people who hear these cautions the loudest are those who are looking for yet another excuse to skip exercising.

 

Being sedentary causes all sorts of health and mobility issues. I remember reading a quote on these forums once that said something like, "I'd rather be in pain from exercising than in pain from not exercising." While I'm not remembering this quote exactly, I'd rather be have sore muscles from exercising too much than soreness that comes from age and being out of shape. Yes, I have myself while exercising. This doesn't make me regret exercising. I could also throw my back out from weak muscles and lack of use.

[Hikin' Mama]

 

 

I agree. I've been jogging for over five years now. Interestingly, the people who caution me about jogging (got to watch your knees!) are the ones who don't do any exercise. You know, my knees could cause me problems if I don't use them enough too.

 

 

I get so sick of hearing the knee thing! I know MANY people who have had knee replacements (and they aren't all old) and NONE of them are runners. My knees don't hurt at all! I also get tired of people telling me that running is bad for your back when I mention that I'm going to the chiropractor. Um, no, my back got hurt in an accident over 20 years ago. It acts up from time to time. I know what triggers it (standing for a long time is a killer as is constant bending), but it NEVER hurts when I run or after I run. I also love the line about running 13 miles, which is as far as I go, being excessive. Well, I spend less time running in a week training for a half marathon than most people spend watching TV, which I don't do.

 

I actually think highly active people stay in better tune with their bodies because they want them to be able to keep functioning well. I know I'm very aware if anything hurts and what I need to do to get it back to normal.

[I.Dup.]

 

It is very interesting. :) I'm thinking of seeing if my DH will try it.

 

Also interesting is the concept of NEAT: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. And of course, the idea that the chair is a killer. Even 60 minutes of activity in a sedentary day (which is more than a lot of people do!) is not really ideal. Ideal is being consistently active all day long.

 

 

I watched the video. The discouraging thing is that I would bet my side of the family is one of the non-responders. We are not overweight, but none of us like exercise and we tend toward being dyspraxic. We are clumsy, rather low muscle tone, don't build muscle easily, struggle with physical exertion, etc. That could be just plain being out of shape, but you'd think if we responded well to exercise, we would be drawn more to it after periods of getting more in shape, which we all have done over time (by "we" I'm thinking of me, my parents, and my siblings).

 

That doesn't mean I won't try, but it seems like the only real benefit to non-responders would be the insulin advantages?

[6packofun]

It's all very conflicting and confusing. Being sedentary is incredibly dangerous. Very high intensity exercise can be very dangerous, and it seems it's hard to know who's at risk ahead of time. It seems safest to make sure you are checked out by a doctor regularly, pay attention to your body, and engage in regular moderate-intensity exercise.

 

Yes, the extremes are the dangers! Also, I think about how many people have conditions that are triggered by intense exercise and how can we get better at identifying those conditions?

 

One thing I've been wary about is the fact that I am fairly sedentary most of the day *except* for when I exercise. I don't think that's a good idea and so I've been trying to be more active all throughout the day so that my times of exercise are not such a shock to my body. I love exercise, but I have to be realistic that as a homeschooling mom who can't get out very much that I am still leading a more sedentary lifestyle than I should. It helps that I've started wearing a pedometer (which uploads my info to the computer) provided by dh's employer that helps us earn $$ off our insurance as we meet step goals and other stuff! Good motivator to be on my feet more!

[mommymilkies]

I get so sick of hearing the knee thing! I know MANY people who have had knee replacements (and they aren't all old) and NONE of them are runners. My knees don't hurt at all! I also get tired of people telling me that running is bad for your back when I mention that I'm going to the chiropractor. Um, no, my back got hurt in an accident over 20 years ago. It acts up from time to time. I know what triggers it (standing for a long time is a killer as is constant bending), but it NEVER hurts when I run or after I run. I also love the line about running 13 miles, which is as far as I go, being excessive. Well, I spend less time running in a week training for a half marathon than most people spend watching TV, which I don't do.

I actually think highly active people stay in better tune with their bodies because they want them to be able to keep functioning well. I know I'm very aware if anything hurts and what I need to do to get it back to normal.

 

But it is reality. I have chondromalacia patellae. Common for those who run or jump a lot. Very common diagnosis in runners. I had my problems well under control by biking and strengthening my quads and hamstrings. (My problem right now is from a bike accident tearing my meniscus and leading to further breakdown of my kneecap compounded by Baker's cysts) Weakness and tightness in the hamstrings is a risk factor for knee problems and a common occurrence in runners. How do I know? Well, I just spent 80 minutes having a MRI of my knees again. I like running. I LOVE hiking. I'm all about fitness. Highly active is very different from high intensity. People SHOULD be highly active, but moderate the intensity to their fitness level and lifestyle. Extremes in either direction are bad.

 

It sounds like, Hikin Mama, that you have done a great job working up to where you are and that you have appropriately strengthened the right muscles. Good for you! Unfortunately, not everyone can claim the same.

[Soror]

I agree as well that being sedentary is of course horrible for your health. Of course though the options aren't just (a) sit on your but all day or ( B) super intense exercise. I'd agree as well that being sedentary is more dangerous for your health than nearly any intense activity. However, I think the question is what is the optimal level for health benefits with health risks and injuries.

 

I agree with mommymilkies as well I think the best, in terms of health, is to aim for high activity not super high intensity. My general goal is to stay busy moving all day long unless I'm eating. I however have a young baby right now so that is not exactly reality. I'm slowly getting back to my usual level of activity though. I like hiking and biking as well I want my kids to see being active as just a part of life and not some special thing.

[Hikin' Mama]

 

 

But it is reality. I have chondromalacia patellae. Common for those who run or jump a lot. Very common diagnosis in runners. I had my problems well under control by biking and strengthening my quads and hamstrings. (My problem right now is from a bike accident tearing my meniscus and leading to further breakdown of my kneecap compounded by Baker's cysts) Weakness and tightness in the hamstrings is a risk factor for knee problems and a common occurrence in runners. How do I know? Well, I just spent 80 minutes having a MRI of my knees again. I like running. I LOVE hiking. I'm all about fitness. Highly active is very different from high intensity. People SHOULD be highly active, but moderate the intensity to their fitness level and lifestyle. Extremes in either direction are bad.

 

It sounds like, Hikin Mama, that you have done a great job working up to where you are and that you have appropriately strengthened the right muscles. Good for you! Unfortunately, not everyone can claim the same.

 

This is your reality, not mine. Nor is it the reality of any of the runners I know. I do know from reading that runners get knee injuries. I'm not denying that. I also know from life experience that non-runners have knee problems, often requiring surgery. Your experience doesn't address why non-runners are having knee problems too. I believe it's because the body breaks down over time one way or another.

 

And I don't think I've done a better job at preventing injury than anyone else has, I just think I happen to be lucky that my knees aren't vulernable to the running. I do have other physical issues I deal with, though, but they have nothing to do with running! I love running (and walking and hiking and biking) and I feel very blessed that I'm able to do them!

[VeganCupcake]

 

I watched the video. The discouraging thing is that I would bet my side of the family is one of the non-responders. We are not overweight, but none of us like exercise and we tend toward being dyspraxic. We are clumsy, rather low muscle tone, don't build muscle easily, struggle with physical exertion, etc. That could be just plain being out of shape, but you'd think if we responded well to exercise, we would be drawn more to it after periods of getting more in shape, which we all have done over time (by "we" I'm thinking of me, my parents, and my siblings).

 

That doesn't mean I won't try, but it seems like the only real benefit to non-responders would be the insulin advantages?

 

From my watching of the video, I can only be sure that VO2 max didn't change much in a non-responder. But muscle strength might, and I think the brain might change what it perceives as its limit (as shown by that wacky magnet experiment) with training. The insulin advantages are huge. I would imagine it would also help with hypertension. I think the blood lipid experiment showed that even a non-responder would have blood lipid improvements. It wasn't clear to me what non-responders gain (or not) in terms of weight control.

 

What non-responders for sure don't get is a big change in cardiovascular fitness.

[Χά�ων]

My son is waaaay into high intensity exercise. I am not going to tell him no and if anyone wants to attempt to have him just try walking can take him home and let him bounce off your walls. He needs it.

[mommymilkies]

This is your reality, not mine. Nor is it the reality of any of the runners I know. I do know from reading that runners get knee injuries. I'm not denying that. I also know from life experience that non-runners have knee problems, often requiring surgery. Your experience doesn't address why non-runners are having knee problems too. I believe it's because the body breaks down over time one way or another.

And I don't think I've done a better job at preventing injury than anyone else has, I just think I happen to be lucky that my knees aren't vulernable to the running. I do have other physical issues I deal with, though, but they have nothing to do with running! I love running (and walking and hiking and biking) and I feel very blessed that I'm able to do them!

 

 

You are taking this way too personally. I even said im a runner and pro-running. Oh, look at this, scientific literature and pro-running sites backing me up.

 

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_5/194.shtml

http://www.runnersworld.com/health/patellofemoral-pain-syndrome-runners-knee

http://blog.sherunsstrong.com/2011/09/13/running-injury-statistics/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3290924/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20463502/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2818115/

 

States tibiofemoral OA is not worse in long distance runners, but: "Only tibiofemoral disease was evaluated in this study, so associations between running and patellofemoral OA could not be investigated. Although almost all studies of vigorous activity and knee OA have been concerned primarily with tibiofemoral disease, at least one previous report had suggested that patellofemoral disease may be more prevalent in runners, particularly in women.24"

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2556152/

 

"Two polls taken roughly thirty years apart showed similar injury rates of 60% and 66% per year (Runners World). Reports of average injury rates today vary widely between 19.4% and 92.4% per year (Incidence and determinants of lower extremity running injuries in long distance runners: a systematic review), but the mode rate is around 50% per year. In other words, half of the running population gets injured in some way every year, and this estimate may very well be on the low side."

http://condensedscience.wordpress.com/2011/06/08/the-analysis-of-injury-rates-in-running/

 

http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~skeleton/pdfs/2012b.pdf

 

Of course non-runners have knee problems, too. So said they didn't and why are you freaking out about it?

[I.Dup.]

What non-responders for sure don't get is a big change in cardiovascular fitness.

 

 

That is such a bummer!

[6packofun]

 

 

"Two polls taken roughly thirty years apart showed similar injury rates of 60% and 66% per year (Runners World). Reports of average injury rates today vary widely between 19.4% and 92.4% per year (Incidence and determinants of lower extremity running injuries in long distance runners: a systematic review), but the mode rate is around 50% per year. In other words, half of the running population gets injured in some way every year, and this estimate may very well be on the low side."

 

Of course non-runners have knee problems, too. So said they didn't and why are you freaking out about it?

 

 

Interesting. I would not be surprised of injury rates in the last decade or so have gone UP because many, many more overweight/unhealthy people are trying running. Couch to 5K and other programs have become so popular...The Biggest Loser had its still heavy contestants running a marathon at the end of the season, for goodness' sake! (Anyone notice there hasn't been a marathon the past 2 or 3 seasons? LOL) And there's a whole lot of unmonitored exercise going on out there. :p (Not taking sides here, just adding some thoughts.)

[Lisa R.]

 

So said they didn't and why are you freaking out about it?

 

 

All I see here is a calm, interesting discussion. I think I missed something. Who is freaking out?

[mommymilkies]

 

 

All I see here is a calm, interesting discussion. I think I missed something. Who is freaking out?

 

 

Read the quote. "This is your reality, not mine." People are getting very defensive of running because they misread what I wrote.

[Hikin' Mama]

Mommymilkies, I apologize if my words came across as freaking out. I assure you I wasn't doing so. Nor was I taking it personally, but you quoted me, so I was responding to your quote. I assumed that you were addressing me directly because you quoted me specifically instead of just stating your knee issues in response to the OP. Originally, I opened the post to read what Negin had posted, because I always enjoy her posts. When Lisa R. posted about people cautioning her about injuring her knees, I responded in a feeling of comradery with a fellow runner. I was not trying to defend running, because I don't think only one kind of exercise is good or fun for everyone. My response to your post was a defense of why I continue to run in spite of people warning me about potential knee problems. If you read my response to you closely, you would have seen that I'm aware of runners having knee problems because of reading I've done, so there was no need to include the links.

 

And I agree with Lisa R., I've only seen calm, interesting discussion in this thread. I've enjoyed reading all the responses to the OP. They were all good food for thought.

 

[Mom-ninja.]

I think one problem may be that a lot of people tend to overdo one type of exercise and hence overuse certain muscles. For example some runners have really tight hamstrings and would really benefit from taking days off of running and cross training with something like yoga and other strength and flexibility building exercises.

[Retired]

HIIT workouts are for the folks that are already fit IMO. I've exercised for years. I do HiiT a couple of time a week for a while and then do regular interaval workouts.

 

I think the problem for most americans is that they want a quick fix. They see some Insanity info mercial and jump into it and then comes the heart attack, strokes and injury.

 

I've worked in the medical field for a lots of years. This is especially true for anyone over 35 who has decided to start exercising. Always start with at lease 3 months of walking. I suggest starting with a short 20 min walk a few times a week. The body needs a slow on-ramp. The organs, arteries, joints need to be built up to handle heavy exercise. I also think that before starting a HIIT or other advance programs get a chest strap watch heart monitor. I wear one when doing Hiit. There is a fine line in getting your heart rate in the high range. You need to know your heart limit. I have a thresh hold max that when I feel like I may go over I slow my self down. I am very watchful and careful how I train as I've gotten older. I never was concern with my heart rate until I started the Hiit training. I was 41 and knew enough to monitor myself.

 

I've worked the e/r and seen way to many over 30 folks all about getting in shape and jump into workouts really geared to those already in good shape or very young.

P90x, Instanity, Ayslum, Tap OUt. THe men tend to think they can't motify or slow down. Then they end up in the e/r

 

I personally wouldn't recommend a Hiit workouts until someone has workout steady for 6 months if their younger and may be even longer if your over 40. They HIIT workouts really do burn fat. I always use them to lean out after to much holiday indulgence.

 

I will also tell you I do LOW impact Hiit. I'm 43 and ran for years. I have tendon issues both ankles and my knees burn when I run. I still would love to but it doesn't work for me any longer.

 

I think a Hiit workout are safe if their approach in the correct way. I've read lots of literature and the non professional should limit to 1 or 2 sessions a week once they are in an advance condition state.