How to run safely as we age?

One of the many benefits of running is that it is a sport for all ages. As Christopher McDougall notes in his book Born to run«We don’t stop running because we get old. We get old because we stop running.»

In fact, there are several reasons why we stop running, and perhaps the main one is related to the fact that it becomes more difficult to heal physical wounds as we age. However, as centenarian marathon runner Fauja Singh has demonstrated, age alone should not be a deterrent.

Not everyone will be able to continue running into their 100s, of course, but proper planning and a healthy mindset can help you include this habit well into your 60s. Here’s what you need to know to continue running safely throughout your life, depending on your age group.

Running at… 30 years old

If you’ve been running since your 20s, you should have a good understanding of what your body can and can’t handle. There are studies that show that many runners will reach their peak in their 30s and often continue to improve into their 50s. But there is also less good news: «it is from the mid-30s onwards that injuries seem to increase in frequency», says sports physiotherapist Maryke Louw. “The body’s ability to recover decreases, and injuries that once seemed to resolve quickly are now more difficult to heal.”

The type of injury often depends on your style and the distances you run. Muscle strains are more common in sprinters; “Runner’s tendonitis” (or iliotibial band syndrome) is common among those who exercise cross-country skiingthose who run on uneven terrain, or even among athletes who tend to increase distances at a faster pace than their body can handle.

“Overuse injuries, such as Achilles tendinopathy, become more common in this age group and are often caused by excessive distances or intensities,” says Louw. “They can result from a lack of solid physical condition, but are often linked to too rapid an increase in training volumes and intensities.

Every time we run, our bodies suffer microdamage and this needs to be repaired to become stronger. If we don’t give the body enough time to recover, microdamages can turn into injuries. This type of overload can occur in a single session or, more slowly, over several weeks.»

Action plan: Listen to your body and understand its limits. Include rest and recovery in your training program as needed. Resistance training can also help, as can using a foam roller to massage leg muscles and prevent so-called «knots» that can limit movement and cause injury. Making sure you include enough protein in your diet also helps you recover from exercise, repair tissue, and maintain muscle integrity.

Running in… 40s and 50s

Overuse injuries, which begin to appear in your 30s, become more common in your 40s and 50s. “At these ages, physiological changes begin to occur and develop at a different rate, depending on the person,” explains Louw. “Hormone levels are reduced and this affects how quickly the body can repair damaged tissue and also how easily it builds muscle mass and strength.”

In men, this manifests itself as recurrent muscle strains, the most common and difficult to recover from being those that occur in the calves. Women are more prone to tendon injuries, particularly Achilles tendinopathy, which affects the band of tissue that runs down the back of the leg to the heel, and gluteal tendinopathy, which causes pain around the thigh and buttocks.

“Often, runners haven’t changed anything in their routine that could cause these injuries, but because their bodies can’t repair and rebuild as quickly as before, they end up developing overuse injuries,” says Louw.

Action plan: In most cases, the most common injuries in this age group are caused by increasing training intensity too quickly, not having enough variation in the training plan, or neglecting strength training. According to Louw, «It is absolutely essential to include weeks and even months of active rest in your training calendar. As essential for any runner, of any age, rest becomes crucial as you get older and injuries become more problematic.»

Combined training, strength training and sufficient recovery time are essential to avoid turning a minor injury into a disabling injury. As we age, muscles also become stiffer and connective tissue loses its elasticity, so warming up before running, which helps lubricate joints, should become a key component of your pre-running routine.