Editorial: Jogging is turning out to be not so healthy for many Americans – New Haven Register

Getting up for that early-morning run is turning out to be not so healthful for many joggers. Each day, millions of Americans wake up, lace up their running shoes and hit the streets running to maintain a healthier lifestyle.

It is estimated that nearly 46 million people jog or run in some capacity — from 5K races to marathons — annually. Health officials say jogging improves cardiovascular health, helps build stronger bones and strengthens muscles and helps maintain a healthy weight.

But the sport is proving sometimes to be dangerous — particularly for women — and is a growing concern here in Connecticut and across the nation. While there is no need for runners and joggers to be paranoid, two recent high-profile cases lend to the credence that caution is needed and some joggers are targeted.

Vanessa Marcotte was killed jogging in Princeton, Massachusetts, and Karina Vetrano was slain while jogging in Queens, New York. Both stories have dominated news coverage in the Northeast. But other cases get less attention, such as that of Ally Brueger, who was shot in the back while jogging in Rose Township, Michigan.

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While there has not been a rash of joggers being killed, mugged or hurt in Middletown or Torrington, joggers have been accosted in New Haven going as far back as 2004 when a Yale University student was attacked and more recently, in 2013, when a 63-year-old man who lives in the Beaver Hills neighborhood was attacked by teens in Edgewood Park.

The problems women face while jogging first came to light in 1989 when Trisha Meili was assaulted, raped and sodomized in New York’s Central Park in what The New York Times called “one of the most widely publicized crimes of the 1980s.” Meili spent 12 days in a coma.

But whether jogging in New York, Massachusetts, Virginia or Ohio, female joggers are being raped and murdered and many female runners are feeling the fear.

Some women, such as Wallingford resident Stephanie Turbett, are taking defense classes as a precautionary measure and others, like Cheshire resident Lauren Cieslewski, are offering advice and tips on staying safe while getting your run on.

“Running in groups or with a buddy is key for safety,” said Cieslewski.

And so is wearing safety gear, which can include headlamps, bright reflective vest, knuckle lights and carrying runner’s defensive spray. Other tips are running against traffic, wearing only one earbud while listening to music and being watchful of neighborhood and stray dogs.

New Haven Assistant Police Chief Achilles Generoso says joggers are passionate about their sport but urges them never to jog alone in secluded areas; be aware of their surroundings; keep a cellphone handy at all times; and tell someone where they are jogging and what time to expect them to return.

That’s advice that can possibly save a life — and joggers and runners should heed it.

from myhealtyze http://www.myhealtyze.tk/editorial-jogging-is-turning-out-to-be-not-so-healthy-for-many-americans-new-haven-register/