Can Over 70s Take Up Running?

Is it Possible to Take Up Running in Your Later Years?

Many seniors used to take part in athletic sports when they were much younger but for one of many reasons they stopped participating and then became largely sedentary. Can you start running again after so many years?

You can! and you don’t even have to be a former athlete to start. Subject to certain cautions outlined below, anyone can start running at any age.

There is a misconception prevalent in the media and on social media that ‘running’ means a) running fast and b) only running with no walking intervals or breaks at all.

Start at the Basement and Climb Your Way to the Penthouse

I’m here to tell you that the act of training your body to run can be a slow process (yes sometimes painfully slow) and during a training session or race you may break into a walk as often as you like. In running races, walking intervals will need to be constrained as many races have time limits (cut-offs) in which the race needs to be completed. However, even within a constrained time limit, there is plenty of scope to alternate running with walking. Always remember that if you can walk you can jog gently.

Consult Your Doctor!

It is generally known that before one starts doing any kind of exercise on a regular and sustained basis, you should consult your doctor. This is correct and there is a good reason for this. During the many years of inactivity you may have contracted certain conditions many of which are symptomless. Among these may be heart issues, high blood pressure, pre- diabetes, joint and balance issues and many others. So before starting to run, check with your doctor.

So who should start running? Can you walk for 20 to 30 minutes comfortably? You do not get chest pain or dizziness when walking and you feel steady on your feet. If walking is still difficult do not move to any running at this point. Rather gradually extend your walking distances and very slightly increase your walking pace.

If there is mantra for training to be a reasonable runner it is ” start low and slowly improve” And, this applies at whatever level of fitness, you will always be consistently building capacity

If you have been walking for some time, I would spend at least about a month walking at increasing levels of difficulty. You could extend your distance and after becoming used to the longer distance extend it further. Alternatively, you could increase your pace and try and complete your walk quicker or choose a more a more difficult route with steeper hills and walk up and down these with intent.

Finally… Time to Jog…

The time will come when you feel that you can start jogging. However, even when this time comes, its wise to be cautious and proceed slowly.

Start your venture into running by alternating running with walking with an emphasis on walking in the beginning. Say walk for two minutes, run for fifteen seconds. Use this pattern for two weeks or so. Then increase your running stint to thirty seconds and continue doing this until you are able to cover the running part quite easily. The next stage would be sixty seconds of each. This could be followed by two minutes of running and thirty seconds of walking.

You get the picture? It is a very gentle easing into a time when you can run continuously for several minutes. It will always be a good idea, even when you have become an experienced runner, to take walk breaks. These refresh your legs somewhat and enable you to feel less fatigued when you start running again.

Running is hard on the body, no question, and as a runner of any ability you will be prone to over use injuries. There are a number of measures that you can take to mitigate the occurrence of injuries.

Some of these are:

Recovery. After the age of fifty, the body needs a longer time to recover from physical stress. Thus, when training after this age, you will need to take extended breaks from running to give your legs a chance to recover and strengthen. Remember, you don’t get fit during your runs. You  become fitter after you’ve recovered from a session of running.

Strength Training. It is important to strengthen specific muscles in your legs to run faster, longer and more efficiently. It is a fallacy to believe that running alone will strengthen all the leg muscles required to run efficiently. If you fail to strengthen particular muscles, you will end up with a number of “passenger” muscles; muscles that are not contributing to the running mechanics and leaving other muscles to pick up the slack and which become prematurely fatigued because they are carrying a particular load unaided.  There are a number of exercises available to strengthen leg muscles. See other posts on this site.

Plyometrics. These are closely related to strength exercises. Also known as jump training, plyometrics is a form of exercises that uses explosive movements like jumping, hopping, and bounding to build power, speed, and strength by training muscles to exert maximim force in short intervals.

Cross training. Runners receive benefit from undertaking some other activity besides running. For example, cycling exercises the leg muscles without the impact that accompanies running. One could also swim for the same benefit.

Becoming Fit Enough to Run Pays Serious Dividends in Your Later Years

There is so much research being published nowadays which concludes that engaging in physical exercise is a crucial means of extending and reinforcing your health span. If you can train your body to run for an extended period, you can achieve this with aplomb. There are so many road and trail runs to take part in and which are not at all competitive so enjoyable.