An orthopedic specialist has just sent out a rather strong message: you may want to take things slow with your workouts to avoid causing a serious harm to the body.
The need to look and feel good is certainly raging. That is one of the reasons why extreme sports and workouts that push the body to the limits have become very popular over the years.
However, Dr. Derek Ochiai, who specializes in sports medicine, particularly in orthopedic surgery, in Arlington, Virginia, tells that this habit and high-intensity activity may only backfire, causing more harm than good.
In a recent Reuters article, he explained that extreme exercises can compel the body to move at a fast rate and to its limit that in time people may eventually develop conditions such as fractures and blood poisoning. Cardiac failure is also a possibility, although it's quite rare. It's estimated that at least 1 in 400,000 people who run in half marathons will succumb to cardiac arrest.
In a very interesting situation, though, 2 runners went into cardiac arrest during a Rock n Sole run in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a few months ago, with one of them declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Dr. Ochiai also mentioned that most of the injuries he worked on were related to overuse. Further, significant bursts in activity can lead to fractures as bones become more stressed.
Although the doctor doesn't suggest a person should stop engaging in such activities, it pays to train properly and to progress in terms of difficulty level more naturally. It is also important to pay more attention to the signs of wear, exhaustion, and even injury, which can include muscle cramps, dizziness, confusion, and pain. It may also be more beneficial to engage in moderate cardiovascular activity rather than increasing injury risk.
In a previous interview, Dr. Ochiai recommends listening to the inner voice and doing an exercise because you love it, not because it's the trend.