Monday, June 15, 2015
Ted Talk
James O’Keefe: Run for your life! At a comfortable
pace, and not too far
Run for your life! At a comfortable pace, and not too far
By: James O’Keefe
By: James O’Keefe
Rating: ****
In this “Ted
Talk”, James O’Keefe emphasises the value of running as an effective exercise to
maintain a healthy heart and weight and to ensure that you are retain mobility
and flexibility as you age. Mr. O’Keefe is
56 years old and he does not appear or sound that old. He endorses what he believes – that running
keeps you fit and healthy and can actually extend your lifespan – and he
practices what he believes in. However, he states that pushing yourself too far
and running too much can actually reduce your lifespan due to heart related
problems. James O’Keefe is actually a
heart specialist and uses heart health statistics to back up his Ted Talk.
James O’Keefe
demonstrates to us that too much running can actually reduce your life span and
actually make you more prone to heart-related illnesses. He explains that runners who consistently run
long distances at an elevated pace damage their heart because of the stress that
is put on it. He states that if runners continually do this, scar tissue and
plaque will build up on the runner’s heart that can lead to heart disease and
heart failure. For example, he explains
through the use of a “U” that the couch potatoes are on one end of the “U” and
the over-achieving runners are on the other end of the “U”. He then goes on to explain that anyone on
either end of these extremities have a higher risk of health problems, while
people in the middle of the “U”, are the ones who run or exercise in moderation
and receive the greatest health benefits in life.
I always believed
that running more would improve my overall health and I have tried to
constantly push myself to run faster and longer. However, this video, Run for your life! At a comfortable pace, and not too far has
taught me that my pace may actually be ideal and that I do not need to push
myself to my limits to achieve the maximum health benefit.
I would recommend this video to any runner or
anyone who does vigorous exercise. This video might provide you with some
important facts while also providing an interesting Ted Talk.
Spencer Knowles
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