Extreme Exercise is Unhealthy!
The majority of “extreme exercise” is carried out under the parameters of cardiovascular activity; and although cardiovascular activity is a proven health benefit, excess physical activity can be quite detrimental to our health.
The Ironman triathlon for instance, which covers 140.6 miles over many hours in a single day; ultra-marathons performed on foot, which cover any distance over 26.2 miles in a single day; and even the ultra popular classic marathon distance, which covers 26.2 miles in a single day are all prime examples of exercise performed to excess.
You see… exercise is a powerful generator of free radicals which cause damage to our soft tissues, the more exercise we perform at a given time, without sufficient recovery, the more overwhelmed our natural defenses become due to these insidious free radicals. Furthermore, overexposure to our natural environment is a danger as well. Too much sun exposure, inattentive drivers, accidents, overuse injuries and physical assaults are all risks that increase with time spent training for a future ultra distance event.
Extreme exercise carried out by the average athlete can be for the love of the activity of course… but extreme exercise under the banner of health is a misguided and truly false assumption.
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