Spring has sprung and with the start of good weather comes the stampede of “Painful Joggers,” pounding the pavement and pounding their joints into submission.
Joggers make me sad.
Well meaning, hard working folks who have been convinced by a marketing juggernaut to “Just Do It.” These people really think that jogging is not only “good for them” and the best use of their time, but that it is the key to fitness, their salvation, a better body, etc. They long their miles, run their races and gain a sense of accomplishment. A Pyrrhic victory indeed.
I am not saying distance running should be abolished. But I am saying that distance running should be left to the professionals, the elite runners who earn a living from pounding the pavement. Recreational runners are better off finding another avocation; they will be better off in the long run. Go for a swim, do some calisthenics. If you are compelled to run do a sprint workout.
These joggers, good people all, are just wasting their time and effort while grinding their bones and connective tissue into dust. Do you know that running puts impact forces on the body that are equal to three times body weight? What this means is that every jog step taken by a 150-pounder results in approximately 450-pounds of force on the body. Let’s do some math using our 150-pounder as an example.
Most joggers will take at least 120 steps per minute – 54,000 pounds/minute – so a 20-minute run places 1,080,000 pounds of force on the body. A fully-loaded 747 weighs 900,000 pounds.
So for the past couple of days, during a stretch of glorious weather in New Jersey, I have been saddened by the sight of people jogging with terrible form and bad gaits. It’s a seasonal thing for me. I get over it, but for these first couple of weeks I really am morose at the sight of people shuffling along on the sidewalks and streets.
Power walkers don’t have this effect on me since they are actually doing something good for themselves, without the downside of the pounding. Walking results in ground reactive forces of only 1.5 times body weight, and is a less destructive, ground-based bi-pedal activity. Fast walking is more difficult than slow jogging, which is why so many people jog (or “slog” as some call it).
My position is not a popular one and Joggers defend their turf, as they should. But the reality is that jogging beats up the body and is an orthopedic ordeal unlike any other recreational pursuit.
LMAO, We aren’t victims of any marketing juggernaut, but thanks for the sympathy, although you have no need to be so sad. I hope you aren’t losing any sleep over us runners, because we are just fine thank you. A Pyrrhic victory? hmm, have you considered therapy for your “drama queen” condition?
/…so a 20-minute run places 1,080,000 pounds of force on the body…/
Wow. I would think that, even in your model, that it places 450 pounds of force on the body, 2400 times. That’s different than applying 1,080,000 pounds.
I’d love to see what you think of a 60 minute sex session!
No matter how you break it down, it’s a hell of a lot of unneeded stress…Now for the 60-minute sex session, I’ll leave that to the imagination!
Actually, your opinion makes me feel good. After hurting my back (during my running workouts) when training for a triathlon, I have been plagued by back issues. I started doing tri’s as a relay and just doing the swim portion. I feel like I am wimping out but now my chiropractor doesn’t see me as much.
I think to each their own. Jogging isn’t for me either. But it can benefit some people.
If you don’t have proper form, do not swim… if you are not a good runner, don’t play soccer… all sports exert an enormous pressure on joints and the body in general; given that a swimmer is propelling is entire body weight ‘forward’ in water, please calculate the amount of work per joint (take in account water resistance). Occasional soccer players sprint all over the field, with an enormous amount of stop-and-go (so more weight is put on the joints per unit time)… based on your ideas, people should not play soccer just for fun, or any other run-based sport if they’re not real athletes… give me a break!!
You are missing the point. Soccer is an athletic event that requires coordination, changes of directions and speeds and the level of the body, jumping and other complex physical functions. Soccer players don’t jog for an entire game, are conditioned athletes who know how to run and certainly aren’t playing on paved surfaces. Athletic endeavors are completely separate and different from recreational jogging.
There have been reputable studies of late that suggest jogging/running can be GOOD for the joints and have been proven to actually prevent osteoarthritis. What do you think of this artice Sal?
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1948208,00.html