Welcome back to Age Wise, exploring the science of improving physical health and mental wellness at every stage of life. This week, expert tips on getting into running, or getting back into it, without risking injury—at any age.
After struggling with low-level chronic back pain much of my life, and hip pain that started in my late 40s, I finally gave up on my favorite activity, running, a decade ago. But now, just beyond my 60th birthday, I’m back at it, thanks almost exclusively to yoga, which made me stronger and more flexible in the core and everywhere else, and almost magically reduced my pains to near nothing.
A bit wiser now, it’s clear to me that while running can cause injuries or exacerbate chronic pain, it remains a great form of aerobic exercise that can be safe, too. If you go about it correctly.
I’m not alone, and I’m a spring chicken compared to a lot of runners. Earlier this year, The New York Times featured people from age 75 to 99 participating in the National Senior Games track and field event.
“A lot of people, you know, get lazy or something,” 82-year-old runner Walter Lancaster told the Times. “And I say: ‘Look. You got to keep moving.’ That’s the secret. Just keep moving.”
“I feel good when I run,” said 90-year-old Yvonne Aasen, “and when I don’t run it feels like I’m missing something.”
That’s how it is for me. When I can’t run or choose not to, life seems a little less fulfilling. I’ve made up for it through mountain biking, which I love almost as much, and lots of hiking and walking, and then the yoga.
But now that I’m back on the streets, armed with squishy new shoes, life is better.
All this in mind, I reached out to three experts, each a longtime runner with relevant academic credentials, to get the latest scientific advice on how to start running, or begin again, safely and effectively, from picking the right shoes to taking that first step and then keeping the momentum going.
Here are the highlights:
When you start jogging or running for the first time or again, don’t worry about speed or pace, and don’t be embarrassed to alternate running with walking. In fact, you should be able to walk 30 minutes before you even try to jog.
Never increase weekly distance by more than 10%.
Start all your runs with a warm-up of jogging or brisk walking for several minutes, until you’re breathing approaches the point where you are breathing heavy enough that you still talk but can’t sing.
To prevent injury, you need to strengthen other muscles, particularly in your core (back, stomach and hips)... If you skip strength training, you are more likely to suffer a stress fracture, ligament strains, or other injury.
Get lots of rest… Only during high-quality, deep sleep does your brain truly get to work on rejuvenating your muscles, along with all the organs and cells throughout your body. … You need ample time off between runs, too, to allow your body to recuperate, relax and rebuild and repair muscle and connective tissue. If your body feels tired, no matter how much you ran or didn’t run in recent days, give it another day off.
And yes, the shoes. They’ve changed a lot in the past decade. My full story on Medium contains oodles of details on choosing shoes and socks, plus how to structure a running regime that’s safe. If you’re a runner, or thinking of starting, I encourage you to arm yourself with all the injury-prevention advice. And then get out there. There’s nothing like it.
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