Jogging/running isn't very natural

mickrock

Lots of people are into running for health reasons but I don't think humans are really suited to this form of exercise.

Where does it say that having an elevated heart rate for an extended period of time is good for you?

Running is a high impact activity, which our feet are not designed for.

What's wrong with a nice brisk walk?

Aoifey!

I don't do any form of exercise, tbh.

acidskiffle

mickrock wrote: »

Lots of people are into running for health reasons but I don't think humans are really suited to this form of exercise.



Where does it say that having an elevated heart rate for an extended period of time is good for you?



Running is a high impact activity, which our feet are not designed for.



What's wrong with a nice brisk walk?

When your heart is elevated you're using more energy which is good for weight control.
A lot of people are consuming more calories than they would use by simply living, so extra exercise is required.
I'm sure prehistoric man didn't go for many jogs because they led a much more physical life and used all their energy that way.

It's perfectly natural. Just watch that documentary Apocolypto and you'll see.

Jaxxy

I'm trying this new fad called jogging. I believe it's jogging or yogging. It might be a soft j. I'm not sure but apparently you just run for an extended period of time. It's supposed to be wild.

AlmightyCushion

acidskiffle wrote: »

mickrock wrote: »

Lots of people are into running for health reasons but I don't think humans are really suited to this form of exercise.



Where does it say that having an elevated heart rate for an extended period of time is good for you?



Running is a high impact activity, which our feet are not designed for.



What's wrong with a nice brisk walk?

When your heart is elevated you're using more energy which is good for weight control.
A lot of people are consuming more calories than they would use by simply living, so extra exercise is required.
I'm sure prehistoric man didn't go for many jogs because they led a much more physical life and used all their energy that way.

Or you could go with the lazy option and just eat less.

zero_hope

No jogging for a long time does not seem to be very natural and it's not even that healthy.

Fitness expert and paleo diet dude Mark Sissoin shows us on his blog what is wrong with chronic cardio.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/case-against-cardio/

Pherekydes

You should google 'nuchal ligament' and 'persistent hunt', OP.

The fact is we evolved to run.

daithimacgroin

OP you are wrong
as pherekydes claims, homosapiens initial evolutionary success was built on our
ability to run enormous distances

humans would literally chase down large mammals out on the veld
our ability to sweat meant we didn't overheat which was how animals died

we'd run after them for hours until they'd literally fall down dead

psychward

Pherekydes wrote: »

You should google 'nuchal ligament' and 'persistent hunt', OP.

The fact is we evolved to run.

We probably didn't evolve to live beyond 30 either in which case wearing out bones and ligaments, losing teeth etc probably wasn't such a big deal since your time was nearly up anyway. For this reason I prefer swimming for hours over running for hours. I feel it's less stress on parts of the body which don't repair themselves easily or at all. If you plan to live longer than a human did 100,000 years ago then wouldn't it make sense ? Especially in Ireland the old people seem to suffer a lot from arthritis and the cold getting into their joints and I dont' see them getting any cures for this apart from pain killers.

Cossax

mickrock wrote: »

Lots of people are into running for health reasons but I don't think humans are really suited to this form of exercise.

Where does it say that having an elevated heart rate for an extended period of time is good for you?

Running is a high impact activity, which our feet are not designed for.

What's wrong with a nice brisk walk?

As others have already said, you couldn't be more wrong. The problem is many people in the West don't run in a natural manner.

mickrock

Pherekydes wrote: »

The fact is we evolved to run.

We didn't evolve to run, because we didn't need to run.

stoneill

Why run?
The car is parked outside.

Ghandee

mickrock wrote: »

Lots of people are into running for health reasons but I don't think humans are really suited to this form of exercise.

Where does it say that having an elevated heart rate for an extended period of time is good for you?

Running is a high impact activity, which our feet are not designed for.

What's wrong with a nice brisk walk?

Jog on OP.:rolleyes:

kraggy

stoneill wrote: »

Why run?
The car is parked outside.

I've a horse.

Cú Giobach

mickrock wrote: »

Lots of people are into running for health reasons but I don't think humans are really suited to this form of exercise.

Where does it say that having an elevated heart rate for an extended period of time is good for you?

Running is a high impact activity, which our feet are not designed for.

The human body has evolved to aid long distance running.

How Running Made Us Human

Here are anatomical characteristics that are unique to humans and that play a role in helping people run, according to the study:

Skull features that help prevent overheating during running. As sweat evaporates from the scalp, forehead and face, the evaporation cools blood draining from the head. Veins carrying that cooled blood pass near the carotid arteries, thus helping cool blood flowing through the carotids to the brain.

A more balanced head with a flatter face, smaller teeth and short snout, compared with australopithecines. That "shifts the center of mass back so it's easier to balance your head when you are bobbing up and down running," Bramble says.

A ligament that runs from the back of the skull and neck down to the thoracic vertebrae, and acts as a shock absorber and helps the arms and shoulders counterbalance the head during running.
Unlike apes and australopithecines, the shoulders in early humans were "decoupled" from the head and neck, allowing the body to rotate while the head aims forward during running.

The tall human body – with a narrow trunk, waist and pelvis – creates more skin surface for our size, permitting greater cooling during running. It also lets the upper and lower body move independently, "which allows you to use your upper body to counteract the twisting forces from your swinging legs," Bramble says.

Shorter forearms in humans make it easier for the upper body to counterbalance the lower body during running. They also reduce the amount of muscle power needed to keep the arms flexed when running.

Human vertebrae and disks are larger in diameter relative to body mass than are those in apes or australopithecines. "This is related to shock absorption," says Bramble. "It allows the back to take bigger loads when human runners hit the ground."

The connection between the pelvis and spine is stronger and larger relative to body size in humans than in their ancestors, providing more stability and shock absorption during running.

Human buttocks "are huge," says Bramble. "Have you ever looked at an ape? They have no buns." He says human buttocks "are muscles critical for stabilization in running" because they connect the femur – the large bone in each upper leg – to the trunk. Because people lean forward at the hip during running, the buttocks "keep you from pitching over on your nose each time a foot hits the ground."

Long legs, which chimps and australopithecines lack, let humans to take huge strides when running, Bramble says. So do ligaments and tendons – including the long Achilles tendon – which act like springs that store and release mechanical energy during running. The tendons and ligaments also mean human lower legs that are less muscular and lighter, requiring less energy to move them during running.

Larger surface areas in the hip, knee and ankle joints, for improved shock absorption during running by spreading out the forces.

The arrangement of bones in the human foot creates a stable or stiff arch that makes the whole foot more rigid, so the human runner can push off the ground more efficiently and utilize ligaments on the bottom of the feet as springs.

Humans also evolved with an enlarged heel bone for better shock absorption, as well as shorter toes and a big toe that is fully drawn in toward the other toes for better pushing off during running.

Bloody Nipples

mickrock wrote: »

Lots of people are into running for health reasons but I don't think humans are really suited to this form of exercise.

Wrong. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v432/n7015/full/nature03052.html?free=2

mickrock wrote: »

Where does it say that having an elevated heart rate for an extended period of time is good for you?

Here. http://www.kch.uiuc.edu/research/Labs/neurocognitive-kinesiology/files/Articles/Hillman_2003_AcuteCardiovascularExerciseAnd.pdf

mickrock wrote: »

Running is a high impact activity, which our feet are not designed for.

Well all the evidence points to the contrary now doesn't it?

mickrock wrote: »

What's wrong with a nice brisk walk?

Nothing. It's just not the best way to get the most from your exercise.

OP exhibits lack of knowledge of basic human function despite having the internet at his fingertips.
Shut her down.

Ellis Dee

If you think jogging is unnatural, what about that stupid "Nordic walking". Several years ago, someone came up with the idea of selling a pair of sticks that look like ski poles and convinced millions of eejits that it was good for them to exercise their fore limbs at the same time as they walked ...:rolleyes:

Why can't the eejits just go back to walking on all fours if they want to exercise all four limbs when the go about?

Fools and their money are easily parted, just as long as you can come up with a good gimmick.;)

I'm open to suggestions ...:)

Laisurg

mickrock wrote: »

Lots of people are into running for health reasons but I don't think humans are really suited to this form of exercise.

Where does it say that having an elevated heart rate for an extended period of time is good for you?

Running is a high impact activity, which our feet are not designed for.

What's wrong with a nice brisk walk?

Is this your way of convincing yourself that it's ok to be a lazy git? :pac:

--Kaiser--

The combination of running on tarmac with poorly designed shoes (yes, all those expensive running shoes are terribly designed) and poor running form (most people land on their heel instead of the midfoot) for long periods is a calamity waiting to happen in my opinion.

When I run, it's either for indoor soccer on soft astroturf, or barefoot sprints in a field

Jess16

I find jogging physically easier than walking fast

robbie_998

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

The combination of running on tarmac with poorly designed shoes (yes, all those expensive running shoes are terribly designed) and poor running form (most people land on their heel instead of the midfoot) for long periods is a calamity waiting to happen in my opinion.

When I run, it's either for indoor soccer on soft astroturf, or barefoot sprints in a field

I do believe this as before i've had my doctor tell my dad that runners aren't really designed for feet or something to that extent !

foxyboxer

Try brisk walking away from a lion OP. :pac:

We jog long distances to hunt down prey who cannot sustain such extended exertion.

We sprint to evade predators.

Neither of which we really need anymore but it's how we evolved. We have long legs for a reason.

stovelid

I wholeheartedly welcome all specious scientific explanations as to why being a lazy, fat bastard is OK.

wonderboysam

walking sucks - takes ages and is so boring

Much rather get it over with with a jog/run

--Kaiser--

robbie_998 wrote: »

I do believe this as before i've had my doctor tell my dad that runners aren't really designed for feet or something to that extent !

Feet are perfectly designed for their purpose, all the bones in your feet make it very flexible and it acts like shock absorbers for your legs. If you land on your heel the impact of hitting the ground is not damped and the shock travels up through your ankle, knee and hip joints. Padded shoes stop you feeling the ground properly so your feet can't tell how to land precisely

Wibbs

acidskiffle wrote: »

I'm sure prehistoric man didn't go for many jogs because they led a much more physical life and used all their energy that way.

This. Exercise was their everyday life. And they had a better more varied diet for the most part.

zero_hope wrote: »

.Fitness expert and paleo diet dude Mark Sissoin shows us on his blog what is wrong with chronic cardio.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/case-against-cardio/

Depends on the definition of long too. I'd agree that ultra endurance stuff on a hard surface is likely bad for you.

daithimacgroin wrote: »

OP you are wrong
as pherekydes claims, homosapiens initial evolutionary success was built on our
ability to run enormous distances

humans would literally chase down large mammals out on the veld
our ability to sweat meant we didn't overheat which was how animals died

we'd run after them for hours until they'd literally fall down dead

Well it's certainly one hunting method alright, but if you watch San bushmen who use this tactic, they do not run in a sustained way like say a marathon runner. They walk, they jog, they break into a run, they go back to walking and so on. It's usually a task for particular guys in the tribe/family who specialise in this and are good at it. Not all San would do it. Archaic humans? Going on body shape Homo erectus would have been a much better distance and speed runner than we are. Neandertals had to get in close as a hunting tactic. Ambush predators, who stabbed and grappled large animals to the ground with their prodigious strength. The damage they sustained from this tactic can be seen in their bones. One of the main successes of Homo Sapiens was down to our ability to hunt at long distances with projectile weapons. It requires neither long distance sustained running, nor getting in close with the likelihood of injury.

The other aspect of this is the gender difference. If any running was involved it was the men who ran. They're bodies are better built for it. Larger joints, narrower hips, bigger lungs etc. It would be my take that sustained jogging is more damaging for the ladies. Obviously as an average.

psychward wrote: »

We probably didn't evolve to live beyond 30 either in which case wearing out bones and ligaments, losing teeth etc probably wasn't such a big deal since your time was nearly up anyway.

Nope, that's largely a fallacy. While they have much higher childhood mortality rates which skew the stats, plenty of hunter gatherers see their 60's and 70's and tend to have lower incidences of arthritis and far lower incidences of diabetes and obesity. Tooth decay and loss is a much more modern disease. Well since the advent of agriculture. Few "cavemen" have cavities, or would have required braces or removal of wisdom teeth. If a dentist went back in time he or she would need to find a new career.

One of the big problems with "living like Paleolithic man" is that modern humans have continued to evolve since then. Sapiens have become thinner boned, with smaller skulls and teeth and less muscular. On the genetic level more changes have occurred in the last 15,000 years than in the previous 50. So for me it's a little too simplistic an idea.

sbsquarepants

It seems logical to me that jogging serves no real natural purpose, i doubt very much we evolved to jog long distances. It seems far more likely, to me anyway, that we evolved to walk around at more or less normal walking speed interspersed with short bursts of sprinting to avoid predators or catch prey.
I can't think off hand of any other species that jogs for extended periods. It seems to me to waste a lot of energy but not offer any real advantage. That's just me thinking out loud now, i'm open to correction!

smash

Looks natural to me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1UvxxYIv3U

Bookworm85

David Attenborough explains it all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=826HMLoiE_o

sbsquarepants

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

Feet are perfectly designed for their purpose, all the bones in your feet make it very flexible and it acts like shock absorbers for your legs. If you land on your heel the impact of hitting the ground is not damped and the shock travels up through your ankle, knee and hip joints. Padded shoes stop you feeling the ground properly so your feet can't tell how to land precisely

This!
When we sprint we land on the balls of our feet with our legs bent meaning the impact is considerably dampened, before it jolts your hips and spine. This seems far more natural to me than pounding your heel into the ground? No?

jackwigan

mickrock wrote: »

Where does it say that having an elevated heart rate for an extended period of time is good for you?

Running is a high impact activity, which our feet are not designed for.

What's wrong with a nice brisk walk?

Read this OP, might change your mind.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Born-Run-Hidden-Ultra-Runners-Greatest/dp/1861978774/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322216948&sr=1-1

The book that got me into running. Great read.

The King of Moo

Jogging's great. Combined with an improved diet, it's helped me lose quite a bit of weight.

It's also surprisingly enjoyable. Like cycling, it's a great stress-reliever as it takes your mind off things.

And you get those sweet, sweet endorphins too .

I love when I pass all the "powerwalkers" walking at a normal pace and swinging their arms at such speed that they look like they're about to come spinning off.

Doctor_Socks

Humans evolved for running over long distances, it was a method of hunting as we may not have been able to run as fast as prey in Africa but humans could sweat and as a result not suffer from heat exhaustion as much as something like a gazelle that would pass out after a long chase.

The bone structure in our bodies is also very adept at running long distances and absorbing shock from hard surfaces, IF we run correctly as in no heel strikes which sends large amount of stress up through the knee joint causing injury.

Wattle

I used to go jogging from the house but I ended up getting plagued by injuries. Running on hard concrete streets is murder on your knees and ankles. I go swimming instead now. It's an all over body exercise and is virtually injury free.

ScumLord

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

The combination of running on tarmac with poorly designed shoes (yes, all those expensive running shoes are terribly designed) and poor running form (most people land on their heel instead of the midfoot) for long periods is a calamity waiting to happen in my opinion.

I'd say tarmac would be fine for people to run on the problem is we don't have hard enough skin on our feet, if you think of the conditions in the wild they'd be much more varied and rough (sticks, stones) than a flat tarmac road. Shoes haven't really done us any favours in the long run, they've destroyed our natural stances.

robbie_998 wrote: »

I do believe this as before i've had my doctor tell my dad that runners aren't really designed for feet or something to that extent !

They where obviously designed for feet it just turns out they make us run in another manner that's different from our natural running stance, in the end it causes more internal damage to your joints.

I think it's incredible that we all have this expert runner hiding inside us, to think that within a month or two of practice any one of us could unlock one of natures greatest running machines is just incredible. Over all the human body is just magnificent, every one should be very pleased they got one.

sbsquarepants

foxyboxer wrote: »

Try brisk walking away from a lion OP. :pac:

We jog long distances to hunt down prey who cannot sustain such extended exertion.

We sprint to evade predators.

Neither of which we really need anymore but it's how we evolved. We have long legs for a reason.

Like what?
I've never seen any animal jog down it's prey.

Pace2008

As other have suggested, if you're going to take up running, make sure you do it right. People may be put out by the notion that they're doing something as natural as running incorrectly, but this really is the case for a lot of people. Hell, on a recent trip to my physio for yet another injury, I was told I don't even walk properly as a result of tightness in my calves.

At, the very least, check out the numerous resources on the internet, but the optimal choice would be to get some tuition from an expert. There's really no one-size-fits-all running style, which acan vary widely based on the dimensions of your physique.

citizen_p

Human beings are far less active than they once were, manual labour was the norm for 99% of the population...now it isn't therfore exercise is needed to maintain a decent healthy lifestyle.... simple really.

ScumLord

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Like what?
I've never seen any animal jog down it's prey.

This is essentially how wolves hunt, they run the animal until it's exhausted and can't fight back.

Yakult

End of the day, technique is key, otherwise you will cause problems.

mickrock wrote: »

Lots of people are into running for health reasons but I don't think humans are really suited to this form of exercise.

Where does it say that having an elevated heart rate for an extended period of time is good for you?

Running is a high impact activity, which our feet are not designed for.

What's wrong with a nice brisk walk?

Just LOL.

Logical Fallacy

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Like what?
I've never seen any animal jog down it's prey.

The vast majority of big cat hunters will run down their prey. For preference they will pick an old or a young animal, as it will not be able to run for as long...they will normally hold a certain distance from the animal to give themselves more time to adjust to it's movements and as it tires they will close the distance and bring it down.

sbsquarepants

ScumLord wrote: »

This is essentially how wolves hunt, they run the animal until it's exhausted and can't fight back.

From what i've seen of wolves hunting, there isn't much jogging involved, they do run the animal to exhaustion but largely by sprinting after it in turns.
Unless you're on about wolves football club, those fúckers very rarely sprint:D

foxyboxer

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Like what?
I've never seen any animal jog down it's prey.

Humans are animals. We perspire. A gazelle or a Buffallo cannot.
All we needed to do was keep pace with it until the animal dies from pure exhaustion.

sbsquarepants

foxyboxer wrote: »

Humans are animals. We perspire. A gazelle or a Buffallo cannot.
All we needed to do was keep pace with it until the animal dies from pure exhaustion.

I don't know, i'm still not sold!
As for big cats running down their prey, or wolves and so on, all i see is sporadic sprinting. I don't see any other animal that jogs, they either walk or they run at top speed or fairly close to it.
Maybe the sweating thing is the difference, but i'm still not sold!

foxyboxer

sbsquarepants wrote: »

I don't know, i'm still not sold!
As for big cats running down their prey, or wolves and so on, all i see is sporadic sprinting. I don't see any other animal that jogs, they either walk or they run at top speed or fairly close to it.
Maybe the sweating thing is the difference, but i'm still not sold!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_hunting

robinph

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Like what?
I've never seen any animal jog down it's prey.

We have since invented guns, figured out how to ride horses, and got lazy.

Before doing that how do you suppose our ancestors caught their dinner? It certainly wasn't by a brisk walk after it.

mickrock

It is common for people who run on a regular basis tend to suffer from injuries to their joints, ligaments etc.

Some say that these people are not using the correct technique. But if running is so natural to humans why should we be have to be taught how to do it correctly?

--Kaiser--

mickrock wrote: »

It is common for people who run on a regular basis tend to suffer from injuries to their joints, ligaments etc.

Some say that these people are not using the correct technique. But if running is so natural to humans why should we be have to be taught how to do it correctly?

Because we wear shoes and it throws off the natural stride. You can't run with a heel strike when you are barefoot because it would actually be painful. Padded shoes let you off with your poor form but you can still be doing damage to your joints

shannon_tek

my feet hurt from walking I get the sudden urge to run.

Dermighty

acidskiffle wrote: »

When your heart is elevated you're using more energy which is good for weight control.
A lot of people are consuming more calories than they would use by simply living, so extra exercise is required.
I'm sure prehistoric man didn't go for many jogs because they led a much more physical life and used all their energy that way.

In addition to this if you work a muscle it adapts to stress by creating more muscle fibres (known as Hypertrophy). By working your heart at the cardio workout level (anywhere from 150-170 BPM or so) you cause the heart to strengthen (with proper rest and diet of course) and make it stronger, needing to beat less to pump the same volume of blood around the body, this results in a slower heart rate.