Regardless of your age, running can provide plenty of different benefits for your mental and physical health. It is a great exercise that enhances your cardiovascular system and lets you stay in good shape to prevent obesity-related health issues. Running has a huge impact on your joints and muscles too, and this is the reason why participating in a running program in old age is beneficial for you. Here are some tips on how to begin running as an older adult.
Understand Your Body
Before starting any running program, always consult your doctor first. This is vital because you need to understand the limits of your body. For those who have not exercised for some time, you need to ensure that your body can adapt to any form of increased activity. After checking your health, you can proceed to find a suitable senior running program. You may think of just running on your own but this may increase your risk of sustaining an injury.
Learn Stretching
Many people find it annoying to stretch before running. However, it must never be overlooked especially if you are an older adult. A good stretch can significantly lower your risks of sustaining an injury and it also provides you with some time to mentally prepare for the run. Take your time to get a proper stretch to ensure all the fibers of your back muscles, hamstring, and leg are stretched.
Build Gradual Endurance
Do not be overly ambitious and overexert yourself. For starters, it is perfectly fine if you just run for about 10 minutes. Build your endurance at a gradual pace. After running for 10 minutes for the first week, you can proceed to slowly increase the time. Overexerting your body may increase your chances of injury and you might even end up getting demotivated. If you feel that running is too much for your body, start off by walking before slowly increasing your pace.
Resting Is Equally Important
Do not just focus on exercising because resting is equally important. This is especially true with old age. In general, it is not wise to run every single day especially if you are just starting out. Keep to a running routine of just running two to three times per week and you will also attain many health benefits. For some older adults, their bodies need a lot of rest to repair the muscles after an exercise. You can consider doing yoga in between your runs to relax your muscles. Having enough sleep every night is also effective in giving your body an opportunity to fully rest.
Watch Diet
What we consume has a lot of influence on our athletic performance as well as our health. Eating a lot of carbs and fiber is important for runners as carbs provide fuel for the body during a run. Stick to healthy carbs like quinoa, oats, sweet potatoes, and brown rice, and cut down on white rice, white potatoes, and bread. Remember to also include plenty of fruits and vegetables into your diet to maintain good health.
