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My friend Dave is a testament to the fitness lifestyle. Some years ago he was
overweight, sedentary, under major stress from his teaching job and suffered from
high blood pressure. His spare time was spent drinking beer and grading papers
(not necessarily at the same time.)
One day he took stock of his life—and went for a run. He could only run a
few hundred yards. He kept at it, and soon he took up cycling, too. Now Dave has
run marathons and done multi-day cross-state bike rides. He’s fitter,
healthier, and happier.
It’s easy to start an endurance sports lifestyle. Take a lesson from Dave and start
small, with short and easy rides, walks, runs or swims. Find a place in your daily
schedule where activity fits seamlessly—a walk at lunch, a short run when you
get home from work, maybe jump on your bike to run errands near your home on weekends.
Many people never begin to exercise because they think they have to start out by running
three miles or riding 15 or 20. But any exercise, no matter how modest, is helpful.
In fact, authorities suggest about 30 minutes of aerobic activity on most days of the week—an
amount that fits neatly into a lunch hour or before or after work.
Once you’ve made a decision to be active, participation in running, cycling, walking,
swimming (plus other aerobic sports like cross country skiing or inline skating) can
make you healthier and improve your mental approach to daily life. They’re fun too.
But let’s be specific—what benefits can you expect from the endurance sports
lifestyle?
- Improved cardiovascular health. Your heart is a muscle and becomes stronger
and more efficient with exercise. As you gain fitness, your resting heart rate will
drop ten to twenty beats per minute and become a better pump, circulating more blood
per beat. Sedentary people’s resting heart rates are usually 70–80 beats per
minute while endurance athletes’ resting rates hover in the 40s or low 50s. Five-
time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain’s resting heart rate was reportedly 28!
Exercise lowers cholesterol and reduces blood pressure, too.
- Reduced body fat and greater muscle mass. Endurance exercise burns calories
at an impressive rate. For instance, a five mile run or walk burns about 500 calories,
while a 20-mile bike ride at a moderate pace burns about 800. But the benefits don’t
stop when you get off your bike or take off your running shoes. Once exercise has
revved up your metabolism, your body continues to burn calories at an increased rate.
That means you’re burning more calories than normal for several hours after a workout,
even if you’re sitting at your desk. Exercise builds muscle mass too and the more
muscle you have the more calories you burn all through the day. It’s fairly common
for people beginning an endurance sport to lose weight quickly in the first month or
two as excess body fat melts away. Then weight loss slows and ultimately stops. But
because muscle weighs more than fat but takes up less volume, their dress size or
waist size continues to shrink.
- A stronger immune system. A regular routine of daily exercise strengthens
the immune system, making you less vulnerable to mundane illnesses like colds and flu.
There’s evidence that it also protects against more dangerous health problems like
cancer. Highly competitive athletes can train so hard that their immune system is
actually weakened, however. In one study, marathoners showed decreased immune system
responses for several days after an event and they contracted more upper respiratory
illnesses than a control group that didn’t run a marathon. But a moderate, carefully
planned training program, will help you avoid overtraining and keep your immune system raring to go.
- More energy for daily tasks. If you feel tired and listless during the
day, it’s hard to imagine that performing more work in the form of daily exercise
can make you feel more energetic. But it’s true—running, riding, walking or
swimming will add vigor to your whole day.
- More social opportunities. Endurance sports are social sports. Running
events attract thousands of participants and the party after the event is a great
time to meet people while you relive the race. Cycling is a social sport and group
rides are a tradition. Walking clubs, Masters swim programs—all are great ways
to meet others who share your commitment to fitness and health.
- A brighter outlook on life. In classic research from the 1970s, William
Morgan, Ph.D showed that moderate endurance activity increases feelings of vigor while
reducing apathy and aggression. Running and walking have been used successfully
to treat mild depression. There’s nothing like getting out in the fresh air and
sunshine for a brisk walk or ride to clear the mental cobwebs.
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