Running with Moe March 26

This past week has been a bit wild for runners.  

First there was the time change, which most morning runners dislike.  About the time they start to see some light outside to run in the time change puts us back in the dark.  Evening runners, however, like the extra daylight that comes with the time change. 

Then this virus pandemic appears and most of the weekend races that were planned are now canceled or postponed.  The good thing is that most runners are a healthy group and usually run alone or with a partner.  Runners can continue on with their daily exercise and not worry about big crowds or touching things.

Following up on the benefits of running, or exercise in general, individuals that are active are for the most part healthy people.  Most runners also follow good eating habits because they know that a good diet helps keep them at a high energy level.  Their blood pressure level is good, their HDL (the good kind) is good, a runner’s pulse rate is significantly lower than the average person (60 beats or less versus 72 and above).  The miles that runners put in has been shown to add years to their lives.

It is important to understand that running is more of a preventive measure in health rather than a cure.  It has many benefits in certain disease prevention but does not necessarily cure problems that are already present. It does cure obesity, if you call that a disease.

Running has proven to be a great stress reliever and anti-depressant for some individuals.  In these examples running is a good thing.  It does not “cure” mental pressures and it’s not a magic formula, but it does seem to help in coping with certain conditions.

One example years ago was the runner, Jim Fixx.  Jim Fixx was an average runner and wrote a book on running that became a best seller.  He was invited to running events as a speaker and was a spokesperson for the average runners.  Dr. Cooper, the founder of the Aerobics Clinic in Dallas, invited him to participate in his testing clinic, however Jim refused to take Dr. Cooper up on the invitation.  Where the story takes a twist is that one day Fixx was going on a ten mile run and died of a heart attack alongside the road. Non-runners had a field day with. “See, all those heartbeats were used up and he died.”  What was not known about Jim Fixx’s background was that a few years before he started running he was a two pack a day smoker, he weighed close to 230 pounds, and had a very stressful job.  His father had died of a heart attack at the age of 43 years.  At the age of 36 Jim realized that he was in line to follow the same end result of his father if he didn’t change his lifestyle.  He lost weight, quit smoking, and ran 10 miles seven days a week.  The problem was that much of the damage to his heart was already present.  Jim Fixx died at the age of 52.  While it did not prevent his death it probably added ten years to his life.  At the time of his death he was feeling tired, had chest pains, and thought that he could run them away. If he had taken advantage of Dr. Copper’s invitation to have a stress test his heart condition might have been discovered and steps to help him could have been given.

Runners, and fitness participants, tend to be a little egotistical.  And why not?  With almost 70% of the population overweight and obese, and an even higher percentage of people that do no exercise, it is easy for the fit population to feel a little special.  If you are at a party, or some sort of social gathering, you will often find the runners off in a small group by themselves. They are talking about running and fitness and good diets.  If you are not part of that group you tend to avoid having this group remind you that you should do this “fitness thing” too.

A good example of this was evident when I was active in physical education conferences and conventions. There was always one or two of the lectures at the event that dealt with the benefits of exercise and fitness. Most had information about starting a fitness program, tips to get started, and varied from running programs, aerobic dance programs, weightlifting programs, and walking.  The interesting point of going to these lectures is observing the audience.  The large majority of individuals at the lecture were fit people.  They attended because the information was telling them that they are doing the right thing and served as a reinforcement to what they were already doing. Sadly, the individuals that really needed the information and motivation to start a fitness program rarely attended these programs.  They did not like to hear that they are not doing the things that needed to be done with their life. Rather than to feel that mental pain, they push the subject off their mind. At best, they make a weak mental note to make health changes at some point in the future.

I have talked with people that would like to start going to a gym to workout, but state they feel intimidated by all the fit people already there.  Rather than be embarrassed, they stay away. Because of this, when I see a new person at the gym, especially if they seem unsure or insecure, I go out of my way to tell that person I am glad to see them in the gym, and encourage them continue.  

That initial mental energy to make a decision and commit to new habits, is the major impediment that prevents most people from starting a fitness program. Gains may be slow and hard to see to that person.  But, anyone that sees them after a few months will compliment them on the changes since the last time they met.  Positive comments do wonders to a person’s self-esteem and healthful benefits will take care of the rest.