Let's Talk About Running

I use to run everyday during the summer but I stopped because my knees started hurting. The doctor told me that every step during a run is equivalent to hitting your knee with a hammer with the force of your body weight and that it really isn't good for you in the long run.

Instead of running I hike, speed walk, use stairmaster, and ride the bicycle now. You can really get your ticker going much better with these exercises by increasing the pace at which you do them too and they don't cripple you as you get older.

p.s Running is overrated and fat people should never run to lose weight.

Just freaking jog for pete's sake. 40 minutes every other day, maybe indulge in a pushup or two and you'll be fine. It's just exercise and you don't seem to be interested in becoming a member of the Tarahumara Indian tribe. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarahumara) If you start getting too skinny for your preference crack open a case of beer and start packing on the calories. Little known secret to weight loss: Calories In < Calories Out.

Good exercise tips...I enjoyed this whole post which contained excellent replies. I hope this stays up and others add to it.

I use to run everyday during the summer but I stopped because my knees started hurting. The doctor told me that every step during a run is equivalent to hitting your knee with a hammer with the force of your body weight and that it really isn't good for you in the long run.

Instead of running I hike, speed walk, use stairmaster, and ride the bicycle now. You can really get your ticker going much better with these exercises by increasing the pace at which you do them too and they don't cripple you as you get older.

p.s Running is overrated and fat people should never run to lose weight.
I cannot disagree more. Running is one of the very best cardio workouts there is. Running too much and too hard for your body can be counter-productive. But running appropriately for your fitness level can be great. It's all about working into the proper shape to make it successful.

I cannot disagree more. Running is one of the very best cardio workouts there is. Running too much and too hard for your body can be counter-productive. But running appropriately for your fitness level can be great. It's all about working into the proper shape to make it successful.

With running there is no avoiding articular cartilage damage no matter what kind of shape you are in or how appropriately you run. In a cardio contest between running and using the stairmaster I would say the stairmaster is pretty competitive...next time you go to the gym try the stairmaster at half the maximum speed available and see what happens to you.

The only real advantage in running is that it maximizes your time which is why I use to run all the time. You can get the same type of cardio without all the long term health hazards.

Gotta say I really hate running, wish I could get into it, just can't. Plus it murders my knees. I stick with lower impact stuff.

Ran my first half marathon in Charlotte, NC yesterday. I finished in 2hrs 13mins, which isn't that fast but I'm still happy considering how out of shape I was in when I started training. I had a blast and I'm already planning on running #2 this spring. I don't think I'll try a full marathon any time soon but it's possible.

Running is good for cardiovascular health but avoid doing it to much. Traditional running uses up muscle and if overdone has the potential to actually make you age faster. Plus with your body type being on the leaner side you can easily make yourself to skinny.

I would personally recommend doing anything that encourages you to sprint. Me personally I like going to my local rink or skate park and do this thing where I skate fast on straightaways and slow down on turns.

Anyway the technical name for it is high intensity interval training (HIIT) and the benefits are great. Not only do you get your workout done faster (9-20 minutes) but you can even build muscle. You can also use anything to do it (treadmills, ice rinks, stationary bikes, basketball gyms, football fields, eliptical, etc).

The benefits are summed up best by this picture. On the left is a long distance runner on the right is a sprinter.
http://www.injoewetrust.com.au/wp-content/uploads/marathoner_sprinter2.jpg
Also I would encourage you to invest in a set of kettlebells as kettlebells help you engage in both strength and cardio training. Here's some more links on HIIT.

HIIT: Supercharge your Fitness and Fat Loss (http://www.intervaltraining.net/hiit.html)
High-intensity interval training - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training)

Also one more picture for the road.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/cm/popularmechanics/images/Zb/olympic-runners-470-0808-msc.jpg