Monday, June 15, 2015


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




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.

 

Citation:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6U728AZnV0r
Filmed at TEDxUMKC.  Copyright November 2012

Spencer Knowles

No comments:

Post a Comment