OH! Magazine - Australian Version April 2016 | Page 18

( Men’s Health )

WHY RUNNING
IS THE BEST INVENTION
SINCE SLICED BREAD!

MIKE
CAMPBELL

Mike Campbell explains all you need to know about running.
ver since multi-gold medal winning
athletics coach Arthur Lydiard
popularised the activity of jogging for
health benefits, running has been the goto exercise of choice for millions across
the globe. Prior to this, running was
typically reserved for athletes. However,
since the early 1960s ‘going for a run’ has
been a cornerstone of the health and
fitness industry.

Essentially, the who can be anyone who
has adequate biomechanics to run, and is
complementing that suitability with time
in the gym. If you don’t fall into this, then
you need to start strength training and
possibly STOP running in the mean time,
just until you are strong enough to handle
it.

place on your body before proceeding. If
you find that running will deliver more
mental/emotional stress than stressrelieving benefits, then you should consider
a more low intensity (i.e., less physically
demanding) way to de-stress. Or, try and
reduce the stress in your life, so running
can be the reliever you want it to be.

WHY should we run?

WHEN should we run?

So who should run, and why, when and
how should we do it?

For many people, running is the be-all-andend-all of exercise options. It long believed
that running (or ‘cardio’) was the only way to
drop fat and because it’s such a common
goal, running quickly became an exercise of
choice for people with that goal. However,
we now know that there are many factors
that play a part in fat loss and having a
healthy body composition. This said, running
can be of instrumental benefit to any training
program that is designed for fat loss, and
given you meet the above ‘who’ criteria, then
absolutely consider including regular
running into your training as a method to
become and remain lean.

The correct answer here, is very much
dependant on the individual; however, for
most people (who should run), clocking up
incidental movement (energy output) in the
form of jogging can be hugely beneficial.
This can be a daily thing, however, when
we’re looking at more purposefully fitness
and targeted fat loss goals, you might want
to aim for two to three runs a week, tied in
with your workouts at the gym.

E

We need to ask these questions because
running is an activity that – like any
activity – carries risks and benefits.
Therefore, in order to ensure you can
actually receive the benefits from running,
you must first work out how to ensure the
benefits will outweigh the risks.
WHO should run?
I start with who, because not everyone
who throws on a pair of ‘joggers’ should
actually hit the pavement. Think about the
number of repetitions each leg has over
20km, or 10km or even 3km?
For many, there is a biomechanical need
to ensure the structures of the feet, ankles,
knees, hips and spine (i.e., a lot of your
skeleton) won’t lead to the slow or rapid,
degradation of the working joints. The
approach is to complement your running
with the appropriate strength training that
will encourage adequate strength and
stability in these joints, and the muscles
that work with them.

18

APRIL 2016 ( OH! MAGAZINE )

The benefits
We all know running benefits the
cardiovascular system, which plays a huge
role in overall health and general fitness to
help you accommodate life’s various
demands. Another highly sought-after
running benefit is stress relief. For many,
clocking some kilometres is a brilliant way
to de-stress and unwind the mind. This
can’t be underrated; however, it should be
approached from a risk versus benefit ratio,
so you take into account the amount of
(potential) physical stress this activity will

If you’re running for stress relief, then just
make sure you really enjoy it. Make sure
it’s not too much for too long, or it may
end up becoming an extr a stressor on your
body (even though it might not feel like
it).
Like all things related to exercise and
health, there is no one-size-fits-all answer;
it depends on you your body, and your
situation. By following this guide, you’ll
ensure your running is actually benefiting
you in both the short and long term.
YOU CAN CONTACT MIKE VIA:
Web: mikecampbell.com.au
Facebook: mikecampbellmancoach
Twitter: @mcampbell2012
Instagram: @mcampbell2014

http://mikecampbell.com.au
mikecampbell.com.au

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