Run Baby Run!

Week 5- Run baby run!

I can't tell you the number of times that I have had to defend the sport of running. I have always consistently protected the sport against the naysayers who insist that running will wreck your hips and blow out your knees. Recently, I picked up a book called Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. This has been an inspirational book for me. It is about an amazing tribe called the Tarahumara Indians who live in rural Mexico and run multiple marathons a day, barefoot! The truly astonishing part of the story is that they run these crazy distances and are injury free. The concept is such, that they do not focus on fancy equipment or gadgets, they simply learn the skill of running at an early age, and they run "gently". You can learn more about this phenomenon by visiting their website at http://borntorun.org/ One of the quotes in the book stuck with me, which was "You don't stop running because you get old, you get old because you stop running!"

According to a research review in the Journal of Anatomy, running does not increase your risk of osteoarthritis, the decay of cartilage that causes joint pain and inflammation. In fact, many researchers even propose that the strong muscles you develop pounding the pavement could actually guard against osteoarthritis. Not to mention, running is a great stress-reliever and may even relieve mild depression. Many runners enjoy reaching the "runner's high" - that euphoric, clear, and calm state they feel after a long run.

Nonetheless, exercise will definitely help you avoid one important risk factor for the disease in women: obesity.

Have a great weekend and keep running!
In fitness and fun,
Andie