How Much Running Is Too Much?
The Great Marathon Debate
trying to lift your max every rep is a good way to strength train, but there is still some science that touts the benefits of doing the cardiovascular equivalent. Many people will argue that marathon training is some of the best aerobic exercise you can do. However, people with certain conditions — especially heart issues, kidney problems, or biomechanical devices — should opt for a less intense aerobic workout. A study from Yale nephrologist Chirag Parikh found that 75 percent of marathon runners experience acute kidney injury after a race. This injury is not necessarily a bad thing for healthy people, but it can be detrimental to those with existing conditions. The best advice is to consult with your physical therapist before taking on any type of exercise. How much running is too much? It depends on the person. As unsatisfying as that answer is, it’s the best we’ve got for now.
The Boston Marathon is one of America’s great sporting events and an integral part of the city’s history. If you line up along Boylston Street to watch the finish this year, you’ll notice that only a very small portion of the 30,000 or so finishers are professional athletes. The vast majority are just regular folks for whom running the marathon is a lifelong goal. The intensity with which these folks approach the race varies, and that is probably for the best. When it comes to whether or not pushing yourself to the max for 26.2 miles is good for your health, the science is decidedly mixed. We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that exercise is hugely beneficial for everybody, but we’re still in the process of figuring out exactly how much of each kind of exercise is optimal for most people. That may sound strange in a fitness-obsessed world, but exercise science is a relatively new field in the grand scheme of things. It was only a little over a generation ago that fitness was considered a niche concern. Conventional wisdom used to state that more is better when it comes to exercise. Lifting weights was about how much you could lift and running was about how far and fast you could go. Today, nobody would tell you that
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Easy Bacon and Spinach Stir-Fry
–Jimmy Gallo
Ingredients
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Inspired by OhSnapLetsEat.com
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2 bunches spinach
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3 slices bacon
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper Salt and black pepper, to taste
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Directions 1. Heat a large skillet to medium. 2. While skillet is warming, cut bacon into squares. 3. Cook bacon until fat is rendered and bacon is almost to your desired doneness. If desired, you can remove bacon fat from skillet and replace with 1 tablespoon oil. However, keeping the fat is recommended for flavor. 4. Add garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes. 5. Add spinach and crushed red pepper and stir-fry for 10 minutes. 6. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
-Mike Mueller
Professional Physical Therapy | 508-528-6100 • 3
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