A London-based personal trainer has been criticised after telling media that running does not have any health benefits.
Greg Brookes told British newspaper The Daily Mail that running doesn’t help an individual lose weight, is bad for the joints and slows down metabolism – statements which have been slammed by Dubai-based experts.
Brookes - who has a clientele ranging from celebrities and high-fliers to housewives –was quoted as saying: “Lots of people start running to lose weight and it doesn’t always work.
“The more you run, the more your body prepares itself for your next run – you will actually start to hold on to more fat.
“The more time you spend running, the better you become at running and the more efficient you get, the less energy you use and the fewer calories you burn.”
He also stated that running causes injury through repetitive movements – an accusation that will be familiar to many whose knees or ankles have proved unequal to the demands placed on them.
“When you run, two-and-a-half times your body weight is transmitted through your joints,” he continued. “If that force is repeated over and over, eventually your weakest joint will give out.
“Usually the ankles or the knees are the first to go, generally because of poor hip and core stability. Wearing a brace only exacerbates the problem by moving the strain on to the next weakest joint while maintaining the old injury.”
He went on to say that contrary to a popular belief that any exercise will speed up metabolism, running could do the opposite.
“If you want some serious muscle wastage and to reduce your metabolic rate, then keep running.”
Needless to say, Brookes’ comments have been less than welcomed by a range of experts.
Malcolm Murphy, from local jogging club Dubai Creek Striders, told Emirates 24|7 he “completely disagreed” with Brookes.
“It’s a great sport, keeps you fit and keeps your weight down,” he said. “I suffer from hypertension, and my doctor has told me that the reason my blood pressure and hypertension is down is due to the fact I go running.
“I definitely wouldn’t advise someone to stop running after reading those comments.”
Kim Perks, from the Desert Hash House Harriers, added: “When I started running, I lost two stone [approx. 13kg], so I do not agree that it doesn’t help you lose weight.
“Yes, it may be bad for the joints, but that’s the case with any high impact sport, and obviously the more careful you are the safer you’ll be.”
Perks pointed out that runners can be safe by avoiding hard surfaces and opting for mixed surfaces instead, investing in proper running shoes, and adding cross-training and stretching exercises such as yoga into a routine in order to prevent injury.
And from a medic’s point of view, Dr Richard Weil, a writer for MedicineNet, recently quoted a study explaining that “individuals who ran more than 50 miles per week had significantly greater increases in HDL cholesterol [good fat] and significantly greater decreases in body fat, triglyceride levels, and the risk of coronary heart disease than individuals who ran less than 10 miles per week.
“In addition, the long-distance runners had a nearly 50 per cent reduction in high blood pressure and more than a 50 per cent reduction in the use of medications to lower blood pressure and plasma cholesterol levels.”
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