Expert: Bonnie Hardie - 6/13/2008

Question
I was wondering if high-intensity exercise is really better for you than low-intensity?  It seems like you hear in the news more often about someone having a heart attack, or dying, after doing some high-intensity exercise, like say running.  You even hear of people that have heart attacks after something like jogging.  You never hear of that happening with someone doing low-intensity exercises.  You hear of people in perfect health, who've been healthy all their life, never had a heart condition, are skinny, exercise every day, and all of a sudden have a heart attack after doing some high-intensity exercise.  It's scary, and it makes you think if doing high-intensity exercise is really any good for you, and if it's worth it to do.  It seems like there's more risk associated with it.  Even if you look at people living past 100 around the world, most of them never did any kind of high-intensity exercising, but rather low-intensity exercises on a daily basis.  Why then do people continue to do high-intensity exercising?  Isn't it detrimental to your health?  What should you really do then?  Thanks very much for your help.

Answer
Hi Dave,
Thank you for your question.
My preference is to do low intensity exercise-there are certain people,like pro athletes that do hi intensity exercise,but most people will get an excellent workout doing a lower intensity workout.
Some people believe that more is better-that is why they do hi intensity exercise. Sometimes the hi intensity workouts will cause major joint damage.It all comes down to each persons preference whether they do hi or low intensity exercise.
Generally,lower intensity exercise will be sufficient for most people.
Thank You,
Bonnie