3 Myths—and 1 Truth—About Running and Your Health

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but i must ask, are you running in harlem or east st louis or something?
i go running from my house around the neighborhood -- have a 2 mile, 4 mile and 6 mile course lined up, and there's zero chance of a break in ; )
good luck with the running.

Paul of MO 1:55PM August 12, 2008

"Running". What does that mean? A 3 mile walk/run? An IRONMAN? Windsprints at the local stadium?
Since the author provides no actual links to "the studies", these questions can't be answered.
OK, set aside these questions. Let's address, instead, the "one size fits all" mentality. Is running really right for EVERYONE?
Like lipitor, prozac, sunscreen, and plenty of whole grain carbs? This kind of pop medical advice causes more confusion than clarity.
Most folks beyond a certain age or level of common sense, can better answer their own questions: "Will running hurt my joints?" I've personally never met a long distance runner that didn't have some kind of chronic joint pain they were addressing. But that's anecdotal evidence. Fundamentally, we have to research and decide for ourselves.

Katherine Hobson: If you follow the links in this blog post, they often lead to a more detailed story about the study. (Follow the "new study" link in the first paragraph for details about this latest study.) You can read there about what counted as running for the purposes of this study -- it was something around 3-4 hours a week at first, I believe. Nothing too strenuous. Far be it from me to advocate running for everyone -- I do not. But, I was trying to provide some evidence for some of the more common, and often misguided, ideas about running. If you don't want to run, don't do it!

John Steve of DC 1:52PM August 12, 2008

I used to run....pretty frequently..and this article got me motivated to get out there and start running again. I felt GREAT....until I returned to my truck to find the window smashed, and my stuff taken. :(

LouDog of AZ 1:48PM August 12, 2008

“The Exercise Pill” got worldwide publicity last week when the respected medical journal Cell ran a story on remarkably successful mouse tests run for Shering-Plough’s drug AICAR. The drug’s chemical compound is readily available at chemical supply stores already, and so will be in hot demand from nutrition/supplement companies and their consumers. A healthy bidding war is already underway for the domain (web address) www.TheExercisePill.com, to take advantage of the news. And now we have the Archives of Internal Medicine reporting that half of all “fat” people are actually “fit”. Why run?

Katherine Hobson: The "exercise pill" has been shown to be effective only in mice, and there's no way of knowing whether, even if it ever becomes an option for people, it provides all of the benefits that exercise does. Most runners I know run as much -- or more-- for enjoyment and stress relief than for health reasons.

bill edwards of AZ 1:42PM August 12, 2008

They are just myths. Running is healthy. Make you look better and feel better.

of NJ 1:42PM August 12, 2008

As a fellow who has been running for over 20 years, it is good to see that I might have helped my long term health. That said, the overall feeling of well being and the reduction of tensions as a result of my daily run would have been more than enough reason to continue my running habit. I am 62 years old and while I sure don't keep the running pace I once did, the enjoyment has not deminished one iota. ( that term dates me if nothing else :)
I have had a skin cancer removed and share the concerns of over exposue to the the Sun. I now run at first light. The temp and the air is better.
Thanks again for the good information.

Chuck Miller of GA 1:40PM August 12, 2008

Excellent information!!!!!

Vernon Soudyn of CA 1:39PM August 12, 2008

excuse me but this sounds a lot like personal opinion. i respect personal opinions but when you start quoting studies i think you need to do a decent literature search first and present both sides of what appears to most runners as obvious but in fact is a rather complex subject. one more thing - i think you should also explain any and all ties to commercial concerns that you might have that have a financial interest in running (and sunscreen too i suspect). thank you.

Katherine Hobson: Like all reputable journalists, I have no financial ties to any topic I cover. In my case, that means I do not buy individual stocks that have ties to health, pharma or athletic industry companies, and my stock investments are limited to broad-based mutual funds in a 401(k). Nor do I have any financial interest in running. I am a runner and spell that out at the top of the story, so I don't really see any conflict of interest here. As for the studies, because this is a short blog I don't have room for the ins and outs of every research protocol, but when you follow the links to other stories, you'll find author names and other details that will help you find the cites yourself on www.pubmed.gov, should you wish.

bill of CA 1:36PM August 12, 2008