Is running bad for aging?
As a Physical Therapist who specializes in the needs of mid-life female runners, I often get questions like these:
Is running bad for aging?
I have pain with running, am I just getting old?
Isn’t running hard on your joints as you age?
The answer, in short, is NO! It can be quite the opposite!
Here, I will tell you how running can be protective and be part of a lifestyle that can make your body resilient and help you age even better!
And running can be super fun and social. You simply need the tools to get started!
In this post you’ll learn how running can:
Protect joints and make them resilient
Help with bone-building
Improve heart health
Save your fast-twitch muscles,
And how to get started!
Running can actually be good for aging:
Running can protect joints and make them resilient.
Joints love load! And unless you are starting with pain, your joints will be super happy you are loading them. If you do have joint pain, hire a physical therapist or trainer to help you build strength, decrease pain and help you get started.
Running can help with bone-building.
Bones also LOVE load! Bones need impact (ex. running) and load (ex. Resistance training) to stay healthy and strong. Bone building slows down around 30 and it was once thought that you were not able to build bone after 30, however, we now know that you can absolutely maintain AND build bone with proper loading and impact as long as you live. It is never too late to start!
Running is great for heart health.
This one is a given, no? Our cardiovascular (heart, blood vessels) and pulmonary (lungs) systems LOVE to be worked and running will do just that! Start slow with walk:run intervals (more below), and if you have had a history or family history of heart or lung issues, check with your doc first and/or work with a professional.
Running can save your fast-twitch muscles.
Type 2 or more commonly fast twitch muscle fibers are the parts of your muscles that allow you to move quickly– think jumping, running, or even preventing or getting up from a fall. You can see how they would be super important as we age but the kicker (see what I did there?) is we lose these fibers first as we age. So we must work to keep them fresh and ready if we want to age well and continue to function independently. Running helps. Mixing in some quicker bouts here and there helps even more!
How to get started:
I recommend working with a trainer or physical therapist with some knowledge of running (like me!), but here are a few things you can try!
Start with walk:run intervals.
Please do not start from the couch and try to run straight through. This could cause undue soreness and may not be all that fun, frankly.
Instead, mix in walk intervals such as the plan outlined below. Walking during a run can help your body recover within that running session and help you enjoy the run more. You can build up to continuous running by shortening the walk time every 2-3 runs.
Example walk:run session
Warm-up with a brisk walk for 5-10 mins
Then do 5-10 bouts of 15-60 sec running to 3 min walking. Your running interval time will depend on your fitness level and whether you are coming back from an injury/childbirth. Run at a comfortable/conversational pace and do not run through pain that exceeds 3/10 or pelvic floor symptoms (leaking urine, heaviness/pressure, pain).
Cool down with a 3-5 min walk with deep breathing
Focus on form.
If you have access, a running analysis from a professional is super helpful. I do these at my clinic in Salt Lake City, UT and my clients love it.
Here are some form tips to get you started:
Lean forward from your ankles. This helps your muscles be more engaged and takes undue load off the joints and pelvic floor.
Increase your cadence. This means taking shorter more frequent steps and this can help to decrease impact and engage muscles for stability.
Use a metronome app on your phone and try for 170-180 cadence for a few minutes at the beginning of your run.
Hot tip: Increasing your cadence does not necessarily mean going faster. Think of it as taking more steps per minute. You can still do this wicked slow, which some of us need when we are starting out!
Pair running with strength training.
Not only am I obsessed with helping aging runners with specific strength training, but so is the research.
We know that strength training is one of the best ways to age well and it also helps your body enjoy and be more efficient at running. I know strength training can be intimidating, so I have programs where I help folks get comfortable and confident with gym equipment, form, and injury prevention.
Find a running group to join.
Most cities have loads of groups that meet up to run and talk and learn about running together.
There are often specialty groups such as women’s groups or specific age groups like 40+ or 60+.
Check out your local running store as they often host these groups and they are generally free or really affordable to join. The social aspect and friendly competition is a bonus for your mental health!
I’ll wrap up by saying while you should talk to a trusted doc, PT, or trainer before you start, running does not have to be scary or intimidating, no matter your age and fitness level. And your body will likely benefit from ot, not to mention people often find the social piece of running to be truly rewarding!