Choosing the Right Type of Exercise

There is no denying that exercising offers great benefits to anyone who decides to try it. Not only can it help improve your physical shape, but it can also help boost your mental health at the same time. Nearly everyone would agree that they love the idea of working out, but learning where to start is a whole different story. There are many different types of exercise, and each one offers different benefits, and admittedly some drawbacks as well. Depending on what you’re looking to get out of your workout will impact which route you should take to help yourself both physically and mentally.

One of the most common types of working out is running. Running is an easy way to stay in shape, and is extremely easy to get into, as it doesn’t require any sort of special equipment, just sneakers and a route to run. One of the best benefits of running is the improvement people see in their health after they start, and the studies doctors have done on runners compared to non-runners. In a study done by a group of cardiologists, they found that running just 5 to 10 minutes per day lowers the risk of cardiovascular-related death from 45 percent, down to 24 percent, and that runners had a life expectancy of an extra three years over non-runners. One man who speaks very highly of the benefits of running is Pennridge High School teacher Tyler Murphy. Murphy has been running since the summer of 2010, and describes this hobby as a “positive stress reliever.” Despite his love for running, Murphy does warn of one main drawback that can come along with this form of exercise. “Don’t get caught up in the cycle of comparison,” he warns anyone considering running as their go-to form of exercise. Everyone has different capabilities with running, so comparing yourself to other runners is the antithesis of health, and will negate any kind of health benefit you achieve after a run.

Another staple in the world of exercise is weight lifting. When most people hear the term “workout,” they immediately think about lifting weights. When lifting, the benefit the trainee is looking for is increased strength. Alongside muscle building, lifting weights also helps to improve the strength of bones and joints, along with improved resistance to injury when done right. The reasoning behind both of these benefits has to do with the activity being focused on moving the fragile parts of the body, such as the hip bones and joints, and while doing so it builds ups strength around these weaker points making them less likely to break. Despite lifting being a way to prevent injury, if done incorrectly the results can be catastrophic. Having improper weight lifting form can lead to more pressure being put on muscles and tendons than intended, which oftentimes is the cause of tears, strains, and types of tendonitis. Pennridge swimmer Liam McLaughlin, who has been lifting since his freshman year, added “I don’t stretch as much as I should, and sometimes my joints get sore,” when asked about the injury risk of lifting weights. Despite this precaution, McLaughlin feels that lifting is an excellent way to get stronger, helps him relieve stress in a good and healthy way, and credits the lifting community as being extremely supportive, even when he was just starting to get into it as a freshman and not as big as he is now.

Combining the two previously mentioned exercises is CrossFit. Crossfit is much less common than the aforementioned lifting and running, but still offers amazing benefits. Cooper Saks, a Pennridge senior, glowingly described his CrossFit experiences as “I feel more alive. I feel great after every workout and I never feel like I left anything on the table. CrossFit has made me way fitter and I feel the improvement, both physically and mentally,” clearly expressing his love for the activity. Crossfit tends to combine different types of workouts, which helps to improve more muscle groups instead of just focusing on a few at a time as weight lifting does. Saks said in a normal workout he will do sit-ups, push-ups, jerks, running, deadlifts, and many other different exercises each workout. Much like lifting, CrossFit can lead to a variety of different issues with injury or pain. Tendonitis, back soreness, and tennis elbow headline the list of injuries commonly associated with CrossFit. Getting cleared by a doctor before starting CrossFit is recommended to try to avoid those injuries happening.

Despite all of the exercises having their own certain drawbacks, there is truly no way to go wrong with making a selection. Choosing to take a step into the world of fitness is a great decision that anyone should take. Having a go-to exercise will help both the physical health of the trainee and mental health at the same time. Choosing to get up and work out, no matter what workout you choose, is better than the person who chooses to do nothing.