The DOCTOR is IN

As a doctor and an orthopedic surgeon I am supposed to know medical things and have been asked at more than one cocktail party about jogging and its effects of the body. The Mayo Clinic, Stanford, and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons among many others have all weighed in on this issue. Opinions have changed from decade to decade. The current belief is that twisting, turning, stopping, starting, and pounding, all of which are part of running and many racquet sports will wear out your hips and knees. Over a half MILLION total joint replacements are done in America every year. That's a lot of surgery,and a lot of potential complications. It is only going to increase as the Baby Boomers get older.

So you want to stay fit? there are lots of options out there that do not involve high impact. The easiest and most accessible is walking. Get a good pair of impact absorbing shoes and go for it. Bicycling is great too, whether indoors or outdoors. It gets you fit, extends your healthy life, and is low impact on your joints. Swimming clearly removes all gravity and is even more preservative of joint cartilage but does not ward off osteoporosis or thinning bones precisely because our bodies make strong bones in response to weight bearing. This is especially important if you do not get much sun, are post-menopausal, and fair skinned.

In the gym, the treadmill is better than running but allows way more impact than the elliptical machines where your feet remain in contact with the pedals, like on a bike. It's like biking while standing up only with larger circles and more gliding motion. Exercise bicycles whether recumbent or upright also are joint protective. So, you want to stay young, be heart healthy, and lose some weight, there are lots of choices. Some of them may be more fun right now but will get you in the end, or more correctly in the hip. Increase your chances of health while you decrease you chances of an artificial joint but choosing wisely. Less impact...less surgery. It's that simple.