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Are We All Fit to Run?

Living and working as a chiropractor in Ilkley, and being a keen cyclist, one often comes across a number of people out running whilst I am cycling. As a medical professional, one is keen to advocate regular exercise to optimise one’s quality of daily life. However, without being unkind, one notices a number of people running who would be better served by exercising in a different fashion.

It is well known that running burns off more calories than any other exercise for the time spent. However, some people are not biomechanically or physically appropriate to run.

When one runs, at every step one puts 100% of one’s weight through one or other knee. Even when one is walking the load on the knees is excessive. People who are carrying a little more weight than is ideal are therefore putting an inordinate amount of stress through the knees. The ironic situation would be to cause an injury to the knees that incapacitated the runner , such that it would restrict their ability to continue to run.

Thus, the general advice would be, not to use running as one’s first port of call to get fit, and definitely, not as the first option in loosing weight. Swimming and cycling are a much better modes of exercise to use initially to get an element of fitness before one should consider running. Once you have the increased suppleness or the joints and increased one’s muscular strength and attained better respiratory control, then perhaps consider running. All that being said, respectfully, some of us should seriously consider our running gait and co-ordination and ask ourselves if there isn’t a better mode of exercise for us to undertake than running.

The bottom line is that not all of us were built to run. Also never forget, exercise should be fun and as a result of the fun experienced a way of providing the desire to draw us back to exercise further. Seeing the pain on the faces of many runners around Ilkley, you are clearly not enjoying it. So why not find something that might be more suitable for you and that you will also enjoy more.

Should you want more specific advice, please feel free to contact me, Dr. John Rees at Ilkley Chiropractic Clinic.

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