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Mom of 3 Dies After Finishing Pennsylvania Half-Marathon

  • April 04, 2017

In a tragic turn of events at what was supposed to be an exciting sports competition, a young mother collapsed and died after running a half-marathon in Pennsylvania. According to Fox News, an autopsy is pending.

From improved insulin sensitivity to better aerobic ability and fat-burning capabilities, running is a fitness sport that’s normally healthy. In fact, runners have a significantly reduced risk of death from all causes and from cardiovascular events compared to non-runners, so it’s especially tragic when something like this woman’s death happens in connection with this sport.

And while news reports said she had been training for the event, it’s important to note that too much of a good thing sometimes can actually damage your heart — especially when you’re engaged in prolonged exercise such as high-endurance training, which puts extraordinary stress on your heart. The fact is vigorous exercise performed during a marathon raises your cardiac risk seven-fold!

Of course we won’t know whether something like this is what triggered this woman’s death until autopsy reports come back, but in the meantime, if you’re interested in beginning a vigorous exercise program, why not try short, intense workouts called high-intensity interval training (HIIT)? These quick workouts — as in seven minutes or less — can yield greater fitness benefits in less time compared to longer, low- or moderate-intensity workouts.

They also can be varied and intensified as you grow stronger. The good thing about HIIT is that you can tweak it to your needs, from working out at a slightly lower intensity to a level of intensity that best fits you.