I constantly read on many triathlon and running forums to which I belong about this self-imposed pressure to participate in running, cycling, triathlon events. Participants on the forum pressure others to sign up for races. Even if their prodding is harmless, nevertheless, there is a nudge to sign up for something. Many on the forum state that they join the running club or triathlon club because they want to get healthy and lose pounds. My initial thoughts are..."That is great." Then my next thought is..."Well, joining a running or triathlon group may NOT be best place to accomplish your goal." Why, you may ask?
Let me explain....
According to the World Health Organization, health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Clearly by this definition one should feel good if not better by training and participating in recreational, sporting events, right? Well, may be not...
Many affinity groups and athletic clubs strongly encourage or even pressure people to sign up for events. I see this often on certain groups online. They constantly ask members, "How many people are signed up for this race?" "Why haven't you participated yet." Blah, Blah..We have all read such posts. Sometimes out of shear peer pressure; one feels compelled to sign up for something then there is added pressure to perform workouts to ensure that they are indeed ready for said event in a given timeframe. With all the pressures of work, family, school, traffic, etc.....if one is not careful their original health and fitness endeavor has morphed into is a part-time job that must be performed. I have seen this cycle in many recreational athletes....It goes like this...talk to friends. Join a club. Club members say "Sign up for xyz." Person signs up and starts training. Person is not getting healthier (i.e losing weight or decreasing stress). Setbacks occur. Club members ask member are your ready for said event. As event gets closer anxiety creeps in. Wait! How is this healthy? Perhaps it is not.
Exercise for health and fitness is different than training for races. Exercising for health leaves one feeling exhilarated afterwards. There is no self-flagellation if one can not perform a movement perfectly. Exercising for health can decreases cortisol and blood pressure while increasing a sense of well-being. Have you ever watched seniors leave a water aerobics or Tai Chi class? Have you spoken with anyone after yoga/pilates? They are smiling and seem more energized by the workout at the end than when they began. They derive energy through movement. At most, they spend 60 min per day working out and see it as a cherished appointment with themselves or a sweet indulgence. The manner in which they think and feel about the workout has key implications for health longer term. I will explain, but let's talk about the weekend warrior types first.
Have you seen the weekend warrior types? They are "killing" themselves in the gym or during their workouts. They don't seem happy when it is done. They see the workout as something that they "must do" and place high expectations on themselves to "survive" the workout. This is a set up for chronic fatigue, burnout, injury, increased anxiety and the very antithesis to health.
What is the difference? One word....Cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone released by the adrenal system in response to stress. Not all stress is bad. It can keep us alert and on our toes. However, when one is constantly under assault by stressors from work, school, traffic, etc.; additional stress to perform an exercise may have negative effects. Too much stress can lead to the body feeling like it is in fight or flight mode constantly. This heightened state coupled with increased cortisol levels can disrupt other body processes and lead to disruptions in sleep, low moods, increase hunger...basically when you feel stressed out you want to sleep and eat. This can lead to weight gain and for some that can lead to feeling low or depression. It is a cycle.
I remember explaining this cycle to a group of first time marathoner that I coach in the late 1990s for the Marine Corps Marathon. As eager as they were to train and complete their first marathon, I was more concerned that they stay happy and train slowly. I knew if they did not "over do it" they would stay injury free, complete their marathon and keep cortisol down (i.e. not gain weight while training due to added stress). Many joined the marathon group to accomplish a goal; complete the marathon. Others joined "to get in shape." This was the group I was most concerned about because they tended to push too hard on rest days which placed them at increased risk of injury as well as increasing their cortisol .....then cycle of eating to much, working out more, injury, set backs and depression.
So what is my point of all of this. Exercise and fitness for health is sustainable and better for overall health than training for one or two races for the reasons aforementioned. If one does not learn balance with nutrition, strength, aerobic activity and rest; then perhaps one can set him/herself into a chronic cycle of race fatigue and unhealthy behaviors (i.e sign up for race, train for race, overeat, risk injury, stress to race, participate in race, elation from race then race let down) without getting any healthier.
Let's sign up for the best race ever... health and fitness for life. Breathe, walk, eat fruits and vegetables, laugh and sleep. By the way, if you should decide to participate in a formal athletic event just changing your mindset can make a huge difference. Just adopting "this is healthy, fun with strangers" mindshift can have a positive impact on my mind and body. Keep exercise happy and fun and it will "do the body good."
Remember~It's all about the journey
Comments
Post a Comment