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- In this study, I investigate the affects that running has on reducing the risk of some health
- problems. I am doing this because I run about 40 to 60 miles per week, and my family has a
- history of health problems. For instance, my grandfather suffered a heart attack, and he also had
- cancer when he was about the age of 50. Furthermore, my grandfather, on my dadÆs side of the
- family, has also had triple bi-pass heart surgery from a heart attack he has had recently.
- Here, I present information from some sources that talk about the affects that running
- has on reducing health risks. My sources agree that running, and some other aerobic exercises,
- reduce the risk of: Diabetes, diverticular disease, heart decease, several types of cancer, and
- even common sicknesses like a cold.
- One source agrees that running reduces the risk of diabetes. Jim Harmon writes, in
- Sports Illustrated, about Bruce Leonard, a marathoner with a masters degree in public health.
- Bruce Leonard went to study the Zuni Indian tribe. This tribe has had a bad history of diabetes
- until they started to run. Leonard said, After the Zuni tribe started running, ômany Zuni were able
- to reduce or eliminate their diabetes medication.ö(5)
- My research also reveled that diverticular disease can be reduced in men that run. For
- instance, Marty Munson and Teresa Yeykal writes in the article ôOutrun troubleö which says, ôguys
- who racked up the most ours doing vigorous exercise reduced their risks of diverticular decease
- by a third.ö(38) They also say ôitÆs good advice to make your lifestyle to consume high fiber.ö(38)
- I found that running can also reduce the risk of heart disease. The article ôRun for your lifeö talks
- about Mitchell H. Whaley, the director of adult physical fitness program at Ball State University. He
- analyzed data collected from a group of men, which included runners. Mitchell Whaley found that
- ôindividuals with low aerobic capacity have a higher risk of developing premature coronary artery
- decease that those who were more fit.ö(47) The article also talks about Martha L. Slattery, Ph.D.,
- from the University of Utah Medical School. Maria Slattery also found that running is a good
- preventive measure for heart disease. She says, ôThe greatest increase in protection was between
- those men who were sedentary and those who had some activity.ö(48)
- Another source I found says that running can help prevent many types of cancer. In the
- article ôRunning for your lifeö, Doctor Leonard Cohen talks about how running helps reduce colon,
- breast, cervical, uterine, and ovarian cancer. Cohen says ôA growing body of evidence suggest
- that physical activity reduces the risk of cancer, particularly colon and breast cancer.ö(23)
- Overall, my sources state that even though running isnÆt a cure, it is definitely a
- preventive measure for many health problems. They all agree that running can do no harm, and
- there are many positive aspects. After doing this research, I am going to continue running or at
- least some king of aerobic exercise, hoping that it will prevent me from following in my
- grandparents footsteps.
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