I’ve read some of this before, but just saw this article over at the New York Times which is worth a read. This probably follows somewhat in the recent fad of “barefoot running” which I’m not even going to touch with a ten-foot pole.
Never the less the evidence is there that exercise and training actually strengthens the body and joints. Why the injuries then? Well quite simply from improper training. One has to stretch the joints, and warm up slowly to activities that we don’t do everyday. Beware the weekend-warrior syndrome of not working out at all for some time, then heading out for a weekend where you think you’re in the same shape you were at 20 years old.
Ease into your training, build up slow, warmup and warmdown in a balanced way, and take stretching seriously, and you’ll continue to train injury free. It’s like they say, it’s what we were built for!