This article in the New York Times by Gina Kolata confirms the widely held, but previously unproven belief that endorphins are responsible for the fabled "runner's high" that some people experience after exercise.
What really interested me came at the end of the article, which mentioned that Dr. Henning Boecker of the University of Bonn was doing a follow-up study on running's effect on pain perception.
Turns out that runners have higher pain thresholds. In the story, Dr. Boecker is quoted as saying that there are stories of people running on stress fractures or even after heart attacks.
This indicates to me an even better reason not to run through the pain, because:
If you experience pain early in the run, and keep going until it disappears ("running through the pain"), you might be in real trouble, but unaware of it due to some exercise effect that reduces pain perception.
I'm not arguing for hiding from all pain in your life, but it seems like a good idea to pay special attention to the messages your body gives you. Many people I know who are active tend to neglect recovery after exercise. I'm a big fan of the "Recovery Routine" after working out - especially if you have pre-existing injuries. I think most people avoid developing a recovery routine because they don't want to acknowledge that the injury is something they'll always have to monitor, or they don't feel like they have the time for any extra steps around training.
Rest and recovery should be considered an integral part of any physical activity - not just things it would be nice to do "if I had the time".
Aaah, there, I said it.
Friday, March 28, 2008
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2 comments:
i totally agree. thats my problem with bikram yoga too - as im sure ive said to you many times - (possibly due to my iyengar training, although i'm less into that these days) - i think it doesn't incorporate enough recovery.
i think recovery can also be a part of the process itself - any process, but exercise (for me, not that im any sort of expert, but just based on my life and love of running/yoga) - that within any session and then between them, paying attention to when to stop is more important to me than pushing through.
of course, we all have to balance ourselves out - i think part of it is also developing the awareness of where one's strengths and weaknesses lie. some of us need to learn relaxation, and some of us need to learn exertion; and the relationship between the two is interdependent.
if i were sitting on the couch with you i'd start talking about kabbala, but i'm backstage in eugene, so i'll stop talking now. much love, lady, from a very cold warehouse in eugene, oregon.
You have a lot of good points in there, Josie.
I would add that finding the balance between exertion and recovery is based in the act of deploying attention - becoming better and better at listening and responding to our bodies' individual needs.
It's challenging for me to begin to learn that process again with this new sport, when I had reached such a good level of awareness with other physical activities.
One thing I'm learning is that prepared training plans serve as good guideposts, but I ultimately have to be responsive to my own specific situation.
Yes. Let's talk about kabbalah on the couch soon. With wine.
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