Did you know the man responsible for launching the jogging movement died while jogging?
He was only 52 at the time and had a heart attack while jogging on a back road in Vermont.
His name was Jim Fixx…
…and he wrote a book called, The Complete Book of Running.
It was published in 1977.
This book is what launched the jogging trend in the late ’70s.
The problem is that Jim had a heart condition that made long-distance running dangerous.
Long-distance running can strain your heart.
If you don’t have any defects in your heart you are PROBABLY fine, but Jim Fixx isn’t the only person to die while long-distance running.
People die each year running marathons.
The odds are low that jogging will result in death, but it does happen.
Some people find running rewarding, so I don’t want to criticize it too hard.
But there were enough marathon deaths that they even conducted scientific studies on the subject.
One study was titled…
Mortality During Marathons: A Narrative Review of the Literature
Here were the findings…
“The risk of death from participating in a marathon is small. Men are more at risk than women. Deaths tend to occur later in the race.”
So the risk of death is small, but it does happen.
The reason I bring this up is that sometimes people raise the concern that Kinobody programs don’t have enough cardio.
We are led to believe that this type of cardio is good for your heart.
This isn’t really the case.
Here’s a quote from an article titled Is Too Much Jogging Dangerous for Your Health?
“A study recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows that excessive jogging may be as unhealthy as being totally sedentary… Also, they showed that strenuous jogging could lead to a number of cardiovascular problems, including diastolic dysfunction and stiffening in large arterial walls.“
I’m not saying all jogging is bad.
I just don’t like it that people assume this type of cardio is healthy for the heart.
If I’m going to run, I prefer short explosive efforts.
This works your fast-twitch fibers hard.
Your fast-twitch fibers require a ton of energy, so although the effort is short… it torches calories.
Makes the muscles look great as well.
If I’m going to run, it is always a burst followed by a rest.
Interval training is healthy for your heart.
The rest period allows your heart to recover, just like your other muscles.
Resistance training is basically a version of interval training.
- You typically perform an exercise for 20-40 seconds
- Rest for a few minutes
- Repeat
This burns calories and strengthens your heart and cardiovascular system.
It also makes the body look better.
In addition to this type of training, I can’t stress enough how important walking is to overall health.
In Europe, most of the big cities are built around walking.
The average resident in Milan probably walks several miles per day without even trying.
This is one of the reasons the average person in this area of the world lives longer than the average American.
All of my Kinobody programs recommend 10,000 steps per day.
This encourages fat loss, especially when used with Intermittent Fasting.
Walking is a lifelong health habit.
Jogging is NOT.
Casual biking is fine
Just keep your biking to around walking level most of the time and you will be set.
Resistance training workouts need to be brief and intense.
Your other activity levels should be around walking level intensity the rest of the time.
The is why my Movie Star Body program doesn’t include “traditional cardio”.
It’s not the best way to get lean.
It can even be harmful if overdone.
Talk soon,
Greg O’Gallagher
P.S.
There is another hidden danger of excessive running.
I have read horror stories about what happens to the body of people who run marathons.
Joint pain, blisters, muscle strains, fractures, and BLEEDING nipples!
If you absolutely MUST jog.
Keep it to a minimum.
Movie Star Body is 100% compliant to this.
No marathon-style training.
ZERO bandaids needed!
