by Tina Lehman

Created on: April 28, 2009

Running is a great sport for people over 40. The impact of running can help build strong bones and ward off osteoporosis. Increased muscle mass generated by running can help counteract a slowing metabolism. Runners, particularly those over 40, all gain greater heart health, lower blood pressure, and have fewer weight issues than non-running counterparts. However, runners over 40 have a few things to take into consideration because of their age.

Realize your healing time is longer

The older you are the longer it takes to heal. Thus, is it particularly important for runners over 40 to listen to their bodies closely and rest when necessary. A pulled muscle or a tendon injury may take twice as long to heal, so keeping it from becoming injured in the first place is important to avoid being laid up for long periods of time. This can be accomplished through stretching, strength training, and cross training.

Stretching- A slow gentle stretch of your muscles can help keep you flexible and avoid injuries. Make sure that the muscle is warm before you stretch, so stretching after a run is better than stretching beforehand. Hold each stretch for 20 seconds or so and repeat on each side twice.

Strength training- Running is a sport where muscle imbalances can easily occur. For instance, running builds up the calf muscles that push you forward while leaving the shin muscles relatively weak. This imbalance can lead to shin splints. Strengthening the shin muscles will help alleviate this imbalance and ward off injuries.

Cross training- Cross training is particularly important for runners over 40. By swimming, cycling, and weight lifting runners overcome muscle imbalances mentioned above by working several muscle groups.

Set new goals

One of the most important things I had to do once I turned 40 was to set new running goals for myself. At 42 I can no longer run as fast as I did when I was even ten years younger and it takes me longer to recover from hard workouts. Many runners, once they hit 40, will discover the same thing so setting new goals is a must. In many races there is a Master's division for runners over 40 in light of the fact that we all slow down with age.

Enjoy your fitness

A wonderful thing about having the ability to run long distances is the fact that it can take you so many places. I have run along beaches, through forests and even in the desert just because I could. As a younger runner I was mostly concerned with training for my next race. Now that that is not as much of a priority I can actually go out and enjoy running more. As a runner over 40 you will feel better (and face it, probably look better) than people your same age. Enjoy it!

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