In an article entitled, “One Running Shoe In The Grave” from the 11-127-12 edition of the Wall Street Journal, we learn that running too fast for too long on a consistent basis actually eliminates many heart healthy benefits.

In this case, overdoing it means running more than 20 miles every week at or above a pace of 8mph.

The healthier approach is going to be a little less distance with a little less speed and using more of an INTERVAL running approach so the body is not under constant stress running.

Long duration cardio is a stress that releases cortisol and may result in increased hunger and sugar cravings and may also interfere with sleep.  Sleep deprivation (of even 1 hour on a regular basis) has been shown to contribute to insulin resistance, which, in turn, has been shown to be a precursor to diabetes and obesity.

None of this is to say you shouldn’t enjoy a long walk or a nice swim.  It would be great if you could get up hourly and move and choose to walk instead of drive to many of the places you drive to.

From a heart health and exercise standpoint, mounting evidence is suggests to supplement regular walking and casual movement with brief bouts of high intensity workouts that increase human growth hormone (HGH), improve sleep, reduce stress, regulate blood sugar, burn fat and build muscle.

So, sprint a little…push it a little and benefit a lot more!

From a lifestyle standpoint, if you want the best results from your exercise regimen, it makes the most sense to exercise a body that is functioning correctly.  Interference to the function of the lungs and the adrenal glands will cause these two organs (vital to cardio exercise programs) to not function properly.  

Having proper nutrition, rest, stress management and moving properly are all benefited by having optimum nerve system regulation of the lungs and adrenal glands!