Society has a firm and unwavering focus on waistlines in an attempt to make nations interested in being as healthy as possible. Although the UK isn’t the most obese nation across the globe, the ranking position is still fairly high and even more so for the younger generations. For years many health specialists have praised prolonged intense exercise routines such as running, and yet, according to new research, such exercises could be detrimental. According to the most recent study by James O’Keefe, the results of which are discussed online at The Sun Herald, has discovered that endurance regimes can be damaging to your health.

The Kansas researcher has found that years of running long distances, for example being a 25 year seasoned marathon runner, could actually end up backfiring in the long term. Across O’Keefe’s case study of men, he found those that had had years of extreme exercise were more likely to have a significantly higher rate of plaque build-up within their coronary arteries. Furthermore, some of the plaque that was found was consistent with the type that causes heart attacks.

Although there are obvious benefits from endurance exercises, such as maintaining a lower body weight and lower the risk of Diabetes Type 2, it would seem the heart might not be so fortunate. This is because, although extreme running helps you physically, it adds a lot of wear and tear upon your heart. As a result, O’Keefe and his fellow researchers advocate exercise in moderation when it comes to any and all fitness regimes. They found that the most significant factor in exercise and fitness is to maintain a moderate form of exercise as opposed to extreme training or no training whatsoever. The illustrious happy medium if you will.

The reason this type of research is so vital, whether you’re a fitness fanatic or not, is that it proves that you don’t have to be extreme in order to reap numerous health benefits, all you need to do is have a structured yet varied and moderate amount of exercise throughout your life. To help vary your routine you can add interval training and weights, both of which will help enhance your endurance, yet won’t put the same amount of strain on your heart or your joints.

Furthermore, if you’re not a fan of running or simply want to mix up your routine with something different, you can select exercises that offer all the benefits of running without actually doing it.