Benefits of excercise

Why would you ever want to go running? Well here it is in the somewhat dry parlance of the medical textbook – but clearly this is the short list:
Proven benefits of exercise (Basic Nursing Practice, Potter & Perry 6th edition, 2007)

Cardiovascular system
increased cardiac output, improved myocardial contraction; thereby strengthening cardiac muscle
Decreased resting heart rate, improved venous return

Respiratory system
Increased respiratory rate and depth, followed by a faster return to resting state.
Improved alveolar ventilation, decreased work of breathing, improved diaphragmatic excursion

Metabolic System
Increased basal metabolic rate, increased use of glucose and fatty acids, increased triglyceride breakdown
Increased gastric motility, increased production of body heat

Musculoskeletal system
Improved muscle tone, increased joint mobility, improved muscle tolerance to physical exercise.
Possible increase in muscle mass, reduced bone loss

Activity Tolerance
Improved tolerance to activity, decreased fatigue

Psychological benefits
Improved tolerance to stress, reports of “feeling better”, reports of decrease in illness (flu, colds, etc)

Here it is in the negative light: The American Cancer Society states that use of tobacco, unhealthy diet, and inadequate physical activity account for 75% of cancer cases and up to 2/3 of cancer deaths in the United States. Wow, I am glad I am supporting Lance Armstrong's foundation...

How about the idea that 3.4 million people were 5k finishers in 2007? This is a BIG group of friends that you are joining and they are all a good example of fitting it in while feeling better.

With the smallest of doses; 2mile x 3weekly workouts has been shown to reduce the risks for men – in the key areas that negatively impact quality of life. Heart disease, cholesterol, adult onset diabetes, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis can all be problems as we age and studies have shown that running positively impacts all of these areas – no matter your speed. How many things in life do you actually get an effort grade for?!

While everyone has heard of snake oil - something that cures everything – but running has evidence to support positive impacts in the areas of weight control, increased self esteem, stress relief, improved immune function, increased bone mass, and improved lung capacity.

Is there a reason that I should not do this? YES…
If you are a smoker, already have unregulated high cholesterol levels, uncontrolled high blood pressure, are getting off the couch with no prior exercise history, are classified as obese with a BMI over 30, have diabetes, extreme stress levels, or consume alcohol; more than 2 drinks/day (male) or 1 drink /day (female). Where do these risk factors leave you? At your doctor’s office with a physical and telling him A) what you want to do and B) why do you want to do it C) How you plan to get there. I am not suggesting that you cannot run but if you fall into the above caution categories you will need to control or manage some of the variables first and start of more slowly - then move into a running program. We will still be here to welcome you when you are ready. We want you to run, safely.

In order to do this and make a decent splash – one that you’ll be proud of – we need to follow a few important steps.

Have the courage to show up and start something new, you are already good at that, so congratulations!

Select a race, a distance goal and why you want to do that, because your rationale will guide this whole process and carry you when the day is not going too well.

Schedule your workouts with a calendar, a log book, your PDA but have a plan so you know where you’ll be and can build solid habits

Get proper shoes and advice about footwear
Find training partners who you can share with – our safe learning environment is good for that too.

Find safe places to run. We will have a lot of tools for this in coming weeks.

Progress gradually, it is easy to say and tough to do in a western culture but we are here to teach you that too much too soon injuries are the most common type of all and we are trying to protect you from yourself!

Cross train, strengthen, stretch. You will be able to run the rest of your life you play your cards right and yet it is crazy to put all of your eggs in one basket too. You’ll not be able to run everyday either so you need a regular outlet, preferable one that works muscles differently than your running. You should strengthen your muscles for running to prevent injury and stretch these muscles post workout. Long fibers relax and rebuild faster and are more receptive to glycogen. Take care of you and you will be happier, longer.

Do not play medic or self diagnose. Listen carefully to your body and it is useful to record the results. When you need help see your health care provider right away and be an informed consumer of service with your research and your record of progress or problems.

Get ready for some fun and to develop lifelong habits for a better you. That is our top objective. We’ll teach a seminar the third Wednesday of each month, run together once a week and follow an exercise plan at least four days a week. Along the way you can read about running, ask questions, listen to a topic on group run each week, and find a lot of people and tip to help you along the way.

The journey of a lifetime begins with the single step right? The longitudinal study done at Tufts University has shown that over 30 years the folks who had greater chance of illness, the folks with joint problems, and the folks who actually did not live as long – were those who did not have a cardiovascular fitness plan. The ones who did nothing - so you are on the right track and you can do this with a bit of help, and it should be a great ride.

I love the quote that says “While it may not add years to my life, running will add life to my years.”