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Health Vs. Fitness: Why Fitness does not
necessarily equate to Health
Newswise,
May 9, 2011 — It is a commonly held belief
that the fitter you are, the healthier you
are. Is this so? Most experts agree that a
certain level of fitness is required for
health. However, this leads to several
questions: What level of fitness qualifies
as healthy? Can you be detrimentally fit?
What is the equation for optimal fitness
with optimal health? Assuming that the range
of fitness runs from total couch potatoes to
ultra-marathoners, how is one to determine
an answer?
A recent study by researchers at McLean
Hospital in Belmond, MA, analyzed the blood
of marathoners less than 24 after the race
finish and found abnormally high levels of
inflammatory and clotting factors similar to
the ones known to appear in heart attack
victims.
Dr. Arthur Siegel, director of Internal
Medicine, and the study director said, “My
concern is for people who exercise thinking
‘more is better’ and that marathon running
will provide ultimate protection against
heart disease. In fact, it can set off a
cascade of events that may transiently
increase the risk for acute cardiac events.”
Dr. Paul D. Thompson, director of cardiology
at Hartford Hospital and also a marathon
runner, weighed in on the topic: “There is
concern and there should be. We know
exercise reduces heart attacks. Research has
shown it. But most of those studies are not
based on distance runners running
marathons.”
“Fitness does not necessarily equate to
health. Optimal health is a combination of
many things—both mental and physical. When
mental or emotional stress levels are high,
intense physical training may actually add
to the body’s stress load, ” say Dian
Griesel, Ph.D. and Tom Griesel, authors of TurboCharged:
Accelerate Your Fat Burning Metabolism, Get
Lean Fast and Leave Diet and Exercise Rules
in the Dust (BSH,
2011).
Tom Griesel elaborates: “Over-training has a
damaging effect on our delicate state of
homeostasis. Too much exercise will tap into
our lean body mass for energy and this
causes stress which results in elevated
levels of cortisol and other stress related
hormones.”
According to Al Sears, MD, countless
injuries can result because many of us add
repeated “cardio” to our busy days to push
for greater endurance or maybe even relieve
stress. He says, “Our ancient ancestors
never ran for long distances without rest.
Maybe it happened rarely but never
routinely. It doesn’t happen in the animal
kingdom either.”
Walking may be the ideal exercise. “Walking
interspersed with short 30-60 second bursts
of running is exactly what we were designed
to do and has a most beneficial effect on
our heart and circulatory system. Anyone can
do it. No special equipment or gym
memberships are required,” recommends Dian
Griesel, Ph.D. who wears a pedometer at all
times to track her mileage.
The Griesel’s remind us that repetitious,
monotonous, stressful activities are not
requirements for fitness. Rather, they
conclude “The search for fitness does not
have to take over our lives to be effective.
Mowing a lawn, housecleaning or a good game
of tag or Frisbee with a group of others
count as healthful ways to improve fitness.
Maybe we all need to find ways to simply get
active, instead of stressing ourselves with
trying to run marathons.”
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