Running: is it a healthy activity?

A popular area of discussion for runners and non-runners is the benefits or drawbacks of run training. Detractors tend to talk about valid issues such as repeated muscle injuries and joint problems, while advocates discuss cardiovascular benefits and the sense of freedom running brings. So who is right - or do both sides of the argument have valid points? In this discussion we hope to put the record straight with a balanced assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of running regularly, which will help you to decide whether or not running is something for you.

To make sure the assessment is balanced, we've listed six common areas of discussion along with the viewpoints from each side of the argument (for and against), and then given the final verdict for each point.

Running can cause impact injuries and joint problems

• For: Pounding the road repeatedly can take its toll (in both the short and long term) on your bones, especially on joints such as your knees, which can be particularly susceptible to becoming injured.
• Against: Running can strengthen your bones and joints, and provided you wear well-cushioned running shoes, train off-road regularly to improve your shock absorption and don't carry out long training mileages, you won't experience problems.

runbritain.com verdict!
Running regularly will strengthen your skeleton, but if you very often run on pavements, wear unsuitable running shoes or concentrate too much on long road distances, you can become injured.

Running is boring

• For: Running around the same old routes every week can be very dull. Training when there is no purpose (in contrast to running around during a football match or other sport) is a pointless exercise.
• Against: Experiencing the great outdoors, exploring off-road routes and the feeling of freedom that running can give you means that it very rarely becomes boring.

runbritain.com verdict!
Running can sometimes be dull because it's an inherently repetitive form of exercise. However, if you vary your routes, the distances you run and the training sessions that you do, as well as train with friends in addition to training on your own, your running will be more exciting than boring.

Running can cause imbalances in your body

• For: Most runners gain muscle imbalances, usually because they avoid upper body exercises and concentrate on doing more running instead. This way they become more likely to get injured and often have limited strength in their upper body.
• Against: Running will primarily strengthen your legs but your upper body will also be used to maintain your posture while you run, as well as drive your arms - especially on hills.

runbritain.com verdict!
A huge number of runners are imbalanced and have weaker upper bodies in comparison to their legs. Running builds strong legs but as a runner you will need to spend time on all-round exercise to build the muscles in your upper body and maintain overall balance in terms of your posture.

Runners are inflexible and frequently injure their muscles

• For: The most common topics of conversation at any running club run or event, or at the starting line of a race, are who's currently out with an injury, who has been injured, and who has just recovered from injury. Running and being injured go hand-in-hand.
• Against: As long as you warm up well and incorporate flexibility exercises into your running schedule, you shouldn't experience many strains or muscle pulls.

runbritain.com verdict!
It's certainly true that too many runners become injured for no good reason. If you follow recommended training protocols and concentrate on doing regular flexibility exercises, especially if you are older, you will be able to continue to train without becoming injured. If you neglect this essential area of training you will be out nursing an injury more often than out running on the road.

Running is dangerous to your health due to its very nature

• For: Running can kill you. What about Jim Fixx, the US running guru who died during training? More recent instances of deaths occurring in the Flora London Marathon and other large-scale races prove that it's a hazardous activity.
• Against: Going for runs can provide you with a plethora of physical benefits, such as a better cardiovascular (CV) system, better resistance to infection, a stronger heart, and a larger blood volume - to name a few.

runbritain.com verdict!
Yes, Jim Fixx did die while running - and of a heart attack - but his sedentary father died in a similar manner when he was ten years younger than Jim. It is probably the case that Jim Fixx's devotion to training actually gave him an extra ten years of quality life that his father didn't have. The number of fatalities in races is tiny in terms of the overall number of runners, and regular training will provide you with a large number of health and fitness benefits. These benefits outweigh the rare examples of heart attacks or other medical problems that happen to some people while running.

Running leads to unhealthy obsession

• For: Runners concentrate too much on their mileage every week, never missing a run and fitting their daily schedule around their training so that it takes priority above everything else.
• Against: A good run will get the blood surging through your veins, will improve your mood, is a fantastic way to control your weight, and due to all these benefits will make you want to keep repeating the experience. This means you will make a long-term commitment to having a healthier day-to-day life.

runbritain.com verdict!
Running is an activity that can appeal to obsessive people. However, it can also bring a myriad of physical and mental advantages each time you go running. The point is to keep your training in perspective and in balance with other activities so that it adds to your enjoyment and experience of life rather than completely dominates it.

The final verdict
Both sides of the argument have some good points. As a running website it would be simple for us to categorically sway in favour of running and not mention the valid  problems that can arise from running.

After consulting our team of professional specialists, who all possess many years' experience of running, our final verdict is that run training and racing are life-enhancing activities that can be enjoyed at the majority of age and levels by whoever puts on a pair of running shoes.

HOWEVER... in the same way as for any activity, a few sensible and necessary precautions need to be taken to make sure you can train safely and are able to keep running long term. To get the biggest benefits from your running - i.e. to enhance your life - keep it in balance with all of the other activities you do on a daily basis: work, being with family, relaxing and so on. This way, as an activity that improves your health and fitness, it will be very hard to beat. From our viewpoint, running is neither cure-all nor a killer, but the advantages of running vastly outweigh the disadvantages.