Why I Stopped Jogging (And Maybe You Should Too): A Morning Walk With Brad

I made a post the other day stating that people over 50 should be banned from running marathons, and was greatly amused to see all the savage, critical comments coming back at me.

Fair points made by those of you who are thriving in the endurance community, but what I am really talking about is the inherently stressful nature of training for extreme endurance events, like marathons and IronMan. Many people can be drawn into this deeply committed community, and end up training in an inappropriate and overly stressful manner, leading to breakdown, burnout, illness, and injury. I’ve heard enough from the folks at the front of the pack with their longevity badges and chips, but what I am concerned about is the people who are burning out, even though they are engaging in well-intentioned exercise.

Furthermore, when you dedicate so much to extreme endurance training, you—by definition—are neglecting by far the most beneficial workouts for longevity: strength training and especially sprinting. What I am advocating is a broadening of your perspective of what it means to be fit for life.

I am enthusiastic about this subject because I have had an awakening of my own after having been an extreme endurance athlete, on the professional triathlon circuit decades ago, and then continuing to train like an endurance athlete in the decades that followed—only to realize that I was falling apart and getting old. I threw my back out, tore my meniscus for no reason and realized: Wait, I do not have the full body functional fitness and power, strength, and mobility that I should.

That is when I started redirecting my compass over towards sprinting and high jumping—which I found were so much more fun, rewarding, and challenging than just shuffling along towards another distance finish line.

There is a lot more out there, and if you are not a serious competitor, and just doing something because you think this is a way of staying fit and healthy, then this show will help you broaden your perspective on the safe, low impact methods to push yourself and stimulate the anaerobic system (which gets completely neglected by most forms of mainstream training).

Tune into this episode if you want to learn the essence of an efficient sprint workout, how to feel energized and invigorated instead of fatigued and depleted after workouts, and how to effectively age gracefully!

TIMESTAMPS:

Some people are staying active in their later years with well-intent