The Impossible Mile fitness challenge has become popular on TikTok and YouTube. But is it safe for you to attempt it? While fitness challenges can be fun, they can carry side effects you are not expecting, such as muscle pain, injuries like sprains and muscle spasms, and perhaps even medical complications such as rhabdomyolysis. Here's what you need to know before you do The Impossible Mile or any fitness challenge you see online.
What Is The Impossible Mile Challenge
While the creator of the Impossible Mile Challenge is unknown, one thing is sure – it's intense. This TikTok fitness challenge consists of performing these exercises back-to-back.
- Burpees for 400 meters
- Lunges for 400 meters
- Bear Crawls for 400 meters
- Run for 400 meters
Little rest is taken between each physical activity. However, working at your own pace is recommended for reasons that will be addressed below.
Obviously, you will need a track to measure the distance to cover in each event. One lap around an Olympic-style track is 400 meters (1,312 feet), so you are essentially performing each activity for one single lap and four laps total (about a mile). If your track is not this large, you'll need to measure how far this distance is yourself.
Each of the exercises used in the Impossible Mile Challenge involves the lower part of your body (the legs and glutes). This means your lower body will be subjected to tremendous amounts of physical exertion.
In the world of exercise, we call this the volume of exercise. Volume refers to the amount of exercise you are doing. With weight lifting, the volume is simply the weight lifted multiplied by the reps and sets you do (weight x reps x sets). However, with the Impossible Mile Challenge, your body weight and sets (1 lap each) will remain the same, So the volume is just the repetitions you perform. In addition, the amount of time your muscles are under tension is also a factor too.
Each 400-meter lap around the track will require you to do a LOT of repetitions. If you are not used to a grueling workout like this, you open the possibility of rhabdomyolysis.
Impossible Mile Challenge: Recipee For Rhabdo?
What is Rhabdomyolysis?
Rhabdomyolysis (Rhabdo) is muscle fiber destruction. When the muscle fibers break down, they release their cellular contents into the bloodstream. This quick release of sell content can lead to very serious medical complications. Many things can cause your muscle fibers to break down, ranging from trauma and some medications to electrocution and prolonged bed rest. I specialize in teaching people about exercise as a cause of rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis is a very serious. Some people end up in the hospital when they get it.
Rhabdo Signs & Symptoms
There are several signs that you may have rhabdo, but the more common symptoms include:
- Intense muscle pain
- Muscle swelling
- Dark-colored urine (it looks like ice tea or cola-colored)
Some people may experience kidney problems, too, which require dialysis. There are many other symptoms too, including heartbeat irregularities and raised liver enzymes. In some people, the signs may be mild such as flu-like symptoms. However, it's essential to know that not everyone experiences the most common and well-known three rhabdo symptoms. This means it is often difficult to know whether you have rhabdo.
That said, one thing usually underlines many cases of rhabdo that I've seen over the years – performing a lot of unfamiliar/unaccustomed physical activity. This is why the Impossible Mile Challenge may be dangerous. If you have never performed exercises like those in the Impossible Mile Challenge – or as many reps as the fitness challenge requires – then, this is a new and unaccustomed activity for you.
The link between fitness challenges and rhabdo is not known. In the 1990s, a man developed rhabdo after doing 110 deep knee bends. In 2019 two young girls in China developed rhabdo after performing 1000 body weight squats.
Rhabdo vs. Muscle Soreness
How To Safely Do The Impossible Mile TikTok Fitness Challenge
Firstly, don't do this or any fitness challenge if you have orthopedic injuries such as problems with your arms, knees, neck, or lower back. Take the same precautions if you have vertigo, including inner ear disturbances such as Meniere's disease. In addition, speak to your doctor first if you have difficulties with your heart, diabetes, or high blood pressure. Basically, be healthy before you attempt fitness challenges.
Because rhabdomyolysis often happens when we perform a lot of an activity that we are not used to doing, the remedy for rhabdo is to start out slowly. Work at your own pace. For example, don't begin by running and performing lunges, bear crawls, and burpees for one lap each. Instead, consider these modified versions of the Impossible Mile Challenge:
- Pick only one of the activities (for example, burpees), do that for 1/4 of the track, and then walk around the track for the rest of the distance.
- Perform ten reps of each exercise and walk the rest of the way around the track.
- Perform each activity only for half of the track.
- Perform only one of the exercises each day for four days.
By beginning a new exercise routine slowly, you give your body time to adapt to the exertion. This lowers the risk of rhabdo occurring. This also reduces your risk of injury. The important thing is to work at your own pace. Don't let some nameless person on the internet dictate what your fitness routine is like. They don't know you or your fitness level. Exercise has countless benefits, but like everything else, exercise can also have side effects if taken to excess. Be careful with the Impossible Mile Challenge and any other fitness challenge you see on social media.
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