People hoping to get fit often have a question: “Is running bad for you?” If you Google “top questions about fitness,” that’s one of the Top 18.
The short version: Running isn’t bad for you.
But it isn’t the solution to every fitness problem or the best option for some people. Finally, it is possible to run too much if you have specific goals.
Running Is Great!
Running is an incredibly versatile activity. It doesn’t demand a lot of specialized equipment or even access to a gym. You can simply lace up your running shoes and hit the pavement in any park, or utilize a treadmill in your garage or basement. The choice is yours, giving you the power to fit running into your lifestyle as you see fit.
Running is a fantastic exercise that not only trains your cardiovascular system but also strengthens your muscles and bones to some extent. Moreover, it offers a plethora of additional benefits that come with regular physical activity: improved mood, better sleep, increased self-confidence, and more. These benefits should inspire you to lace up your running shoes and hit the road.
Many people love to get out and run for any distance, and some like it so much that they join clubs or start training for long races and even marathons.
So why do some people think running is terrible?
Well, any activity comes with some risk. We believe that the dangers of fitness activities are minimal—especially compared to the many significant health risks of inactivity.
Beyond that, some runners who put in a lot of miles will get “overuse injuries,” and some people have joints that aren’t happy when a person pounds the pavement with a less-than-perfect technique. Finally, high-volume running can cause muscle loss if a person avoids strength training or eats poorly.
But that doesn’t mean running is terrible.
One Element of Fitness
Running is fantastic for cardiovascular training, but you can get many of the benefits of running without putting in 50 miles a week.
And running isn’t the best option for improving strength, power, flexibility, and other elements of fitness.
If your fitness goals include improving overall health, losing weight, and building muscle, we recommend a balanced program that combines cardiovascular training with strength training and a healthy diet. This balanced approach will guide you towards your goals and ensure you’re not overdoing it in any one area.
Consider this: A well-rounded program might include some workouts in which running is the only movement. However, those sessions would be rare compared to those that combine other fitness elements to get the desired result.
For example, someone who wants to lose weight and gain strength wouldn’t need to run 10 km very often, if at all. A better workout might involve barbell deadlifts, dumbbell presses, and shorter runs of 100 or 200 m.
In many cases, running can be subbed out for other movements that improve cardiovascular fitness, too. Swimming, cycling, rowing, and paddling are great options, and they all reduce the impact on the joints, which is important for some people.
How to Start
That’s not to say you shouldn’t run or that “running is bad.” You should consult a coach to determine if running is the right activity to help you reach your goals. If it is, a coach can help you figure out how far, how fast, and how often you need to run. And if it’s not the perfect movement to help you reach your goals, the coach can point you to the right activities.
The best plan? Talk to a coach, lay out your goals, and share your preferences for fitness activities, then have the coach create a specific plan that gets you fired up to train and produce the desired results.
Suppose you enjoy running and don’t experience muscle or joint pain; jog whenever you want. Running is a great way to stay active. It isn’t bad for you. Just remember that it’s only one aspect of fitness.
And if you hate running, don’t worry: There are many other ways to improve fitness without jogging or sprinting. We know all of them and would be happy to make suggestions.
If you’d like to start running but want to ensure you don’t overdo it, contact us at CrossFit Inguz. If you are advanced and want to improve your running, we can help.
At the end of March, we are starting a special “CrossFit to 5K” program designed for the beginner to the avid runner. Following the weeks of training, we will be doing the Tour de Noank 5K on June 7th, 2025.