Friday, September 5, 2014

How long am I supposed to run?

I would not describe myself as a runner. Runners tend to try races and talk about branching out to trails and go through sneakers much faster than I do. But, I do run for exercise. And, although I do not enjoy it, I would say that I have tolerated it more than most other exercises.

But, I am really tired of the conflicting information on it.

For example, I run for about 33 minutes. That's a thirty minute run, with a three-minute walk for a cool down. I don't stretch beforehand (because lionesses don't stretch, so why should I?). In that time, I cover somewhere between 2.5 to 3 miles. I'm not pushing myself - it's dark at 5 am, and I don't want to trip.

And now I read that I could extend my life by three years with as little as five minutes of running per day.

Please read that sentence again. (I'll wait.) No, that is not a typo. That is five minutes.

First of all...who runs for only five minutes? It takes me longer than that to get ready for a run. Secondly, what kind of long-term gain am I getting from that? Sorry, son, I can play tag with you, but only for five minutes at a time.

I need to stay on my toes, people. I run not just because it is good for me, but because I want to keep up with my son. He says he wants to run as fast as mommy one day - and that praise is better than running any race.

So, here's the part where I try to forget that I ever read that study. And stick to my routine. Because I've had lots of conversations with my son about exercise. And non of them focused on the time it took. Just the benefits.

How much exercise do you think you are getting every day? Tell me in the comments.

2 comments:

  1. I have a goal of walking 8-10 miles each week while pushing the double stroller...so that is about 3 days "exercising". It was easier with one and when they were younger. Now I'm finding it much harder to exercise with my kids and/or make the time. There are always excuses...rain, heat, cold, darkness, tired...What I find really helps me the MOST is having a "walking buddy" to be accountable to.

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    1. Hi, Margaret. I, too, love the idea of a walking buddy, but I can't find anybody willing to get up that early to run with me...
      The double stroller push has got to be a nice workout for the arms though!

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