Rio Hondo College Newspaper

El Paisano

Rio Hondo College Newspaper

El Paisano

Rio Hondo College Newspaper

El Paisano

If playing it safe means getting dirty…

Running on concrete is not good for you! Although it may not seem like such a drastic shift, but switching from a concrete terrain to a soil based terrain, or rubber terrain, provides tremendous physical benefits in the distant future.

Dirt terrains not only benefit the environment, being that they are natural byproduct of mother nature manipulated by humans into the distinct shape of a track or pathway, but they also benefit the person’s bones and muscles in the long run. No pun intended.

Running, jogging, and even walking on concrete has detrimental effects on the human anatomy. Concrete increases the tension experienced by the knees and the joints which eventually causes the fluid that acts like a lubricant for our joints to diminish over time. The eradication of this lubricant also weakens the bone itself over time, due to the increase friction of the joints as a result of the loss from this lubricant.

ACL tears, which the tear of the tendon that supports the knee, meniscus tears, and swelling of the knee which is often referred to as having “water in the knee” are all injuries that arise as a result of too much tension on the knee.

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Pelvic, hip, and back problems are also affected due to the shock absorption the body endures from the concrete. Although specialized shoes have been created to alleviate the tension experienced by the body, they alone will not suffice in solving the problems the body suffers from running on concrete.

Running on dirt greatly alleviates most if not all of the problems developed by the evil concrete. The soft soil acts as a cushion for the knees which in turn reduces the tension on the hip which reduces the tension on the spinal cord.

Running on dirt, as well as rubber, terrain makes for a great run, without the worry of painful side effects that may result in the future; like arthritis in the joints.

Next time you go running, consider the benefits of running on dirt terrain as opposed of the formidable concrete that may lead to serious physical aches and injuries.

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