Enough Said... Now Hit the Gym!

When I ran my first half Marathon in San Diego two years ago, I trained decently for it and performed time-wise better than I had anticipated. I was elated at the finish and felt like a veritable superhero. About an hour later, Clark Kent's cape flew off and glasses went back on, as my very un-heroic knee gave way. I blew my IT band pretty badly and my knee swelled to a point where I was left sitting in a Chinese restaurant with an elevated leg while my running partner, turned RN/Physical Therapist,  ran (figuratively) to the nearest grocery store for tape! Hobbling back two blocks to my hotel, after running 13.1 miles with no apparent trouble, just didn't seem fair. This was celebration time and I was crippled! I learned then and there the absolute necessity of strength training. In all of my training for the America's Finest, my emphasis had always been on the run: farther, faster... but never stronger. And I paid the price.

Came across an interesting article highlighting all the benefits of weight lifting. Some of the top ones are:

* Weight training tones your muscles which looks great and raises your basal metabolism... which causes you to burn more calories 24 hours-a-day. You'll even burn more calories while you're sleeping.

* Weight training can *reverse* the natural decline in your metabolism which begins around age 30.

* Weight training energizes you.

* Weight training strengthens your bones reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.
 
* Weight training improves your muscular endurance.
 
* Weight training makes you strong. Strength gives you confidence and makes daily activities easier.

* Weight training makes you less prone to low-back injuries.

* Weight training decreases your resting blood pressure.
 
* Weight training decreases your risk of developing adult onset diabetes.

* Weight training decreases your gastrointestinal transit time, reducing your risk for developing colon cancer.

And from a Runner's Resource I hear:


* You'll Be More Efficient: Strength training can help you run faster, longer, and more efficiently.

AND, perhaps most significantly:

* You'll Be Less Injury-Prone: The author in this resource goes on to say: " Leg exercises are particularly important when it comes to reducing injury: These exercises strengthen muscles around the knees and hips—two areas that often cause problems for runners. "

You Don't Say!!!

Lesson: Whatever your taste, get your game on. But don't forget to hit the gym. Enough said.

Power Word of the Day: LIFT

Quote of the Day:

We do not stop exercising because we grow old - we grow old because we stop exercising.

Dr. Kenneth Cooper, Cooper Institute.