How To Start Running At 50: Tips From An Older Runner
Think you’re too old to start running at 50 plus? Think again. Getting older is being reinvented. As you slip into middle age, it’s a great time to start running.
As a lifelong runner with so many battle scars, I’m envious of people who start running in their fifties, with their fresh legs and motivation. They improve as runners just as rapidly as younger generations. Running is the best way to get fit at any age.
Can You Start Running At 50?
Fortunately, times change. Attitudes that held back older people in the past are being rewritten. Our generation is ripping up the rule books. You can get fitter and regain muscle mass at any age; it just takes a little longer than when you were 20.
Running at 50 plus is a great way to stay fit, improve cardiovascular fitness, and keep your bones strong. If you’re completely out of shape, you may need to start with walking to lose a little weight, but unless your doctor has some strong objections, you can definitely start running at 50.
✳️If you haven’t exercised for a long time or you’re carrying a lot of excess weight, check in with your doctor before you start running. It’s best to be on the safe side if you have health concerns that may prevent you from running. Get some proper medical advice.
How Does Aging Affect Your Running?
The slowdown in running performance or endurance runners only starts at 40. After that, it’s a very tiny decrease in performance of about 1% per year. Oxygen uptake and maximum heart rate decrease with age, but your running economy hardly changes.
Bill Smith and Scott Murr have spent years investigating the performance of older athletes. Their book Train Smart Run Forever is a must-read for older athletes. My main takeaway is that the slow-down in older runners is mainly to do with not training the same way as your younger self.
A lot of older athletes put on a few pounds, avoid the pain of interval training or the challenge of strength training, and opt for easy running. This more relaxed approach is enough to keep you fit and healthy, but it’s the main reason you become a slower runner. It has very little to do with age.
In contrast, fresh over-50 runners have lots of advantages over lifelong runners – no preconceptions about how to train, lots of enthusiasm, and no niggling injuries from over-training in their youth.
How To Start Running At 50 And Overweight
Let’s face it, most people start running to lose a few pounds, especially at fifty-plus. There’s that little thought at the back of your mind that you’re at the last chance salon. Do something about your health and fitness now if you want to reach pension age and still be mobile. It’s a great incentive to get fit and start running.
Running for weight loss can be very effective, but you can’t outrun a bad diet. If you’re trying to lose weight, make sure you’re combining your running program with a healthy eating plan. When you go for a run and reward yourself with unlimited donuts, that weight loss is never going to happen.
If you’re extremely overweight, it’s best to lose a few pounds first and start with a walking for weight loss program. Build up a basic level of fitness before you start running. If you haven’t exercised in a long time, brisk walking will challenge your body enough to lose weight.
Tips To Start Running Over 50
Most tips for starting to run apply to runners of all ages. At 50-plus, your body needs a little more coaxing along. A bit more TLC.
A twenty-something may get away with setting off at a fast pace without a warm-up. At over fifty, skipping your warm-up is a recipe for disaster – expect to be stiff and sore the next day. Likewise, while all beginners need to progress slowly and avoid doing too much too soon, when you’re older, build your running foundation really slowly; less is more to avoid injury.
Here are my top tips to start running over 50:
1. Buy Some Good Shoes
When you start running, you don’t need lots of equipment, but you do need a good pair of shoes. The older you are, the more your joints need some extra protection against the impact of running.
It’s best to buy your first pair of running shoes in an independent running store. Comfort is key when it comes to buying shoes. Walk around the store and make sure your shoes feel right. A good running store will analyze your gait, but expect your running gait to change over the next few months as your legs get stronger.
2. Follow A Suitable Running Plan
The running plan you follow will depend on your current fitness level. If you already exercise and you’re just new to running, you’ll have an advantage over someone starting from the couch. That doesn’t mean you need to be fit before you take up running – it just means if it’s the first time you’ve exercised in years you need to take it slow.
The Couch to 5K Plan is the best training plan for most new runners. It’s a program to take you from zero to running a 5K race. The standard plan is 9 weeks to 5K, but this site offers several free-to-download 5K plans to suit every ability. If you’re concerned about your fitness, start with the 12-week plan.
All Couch to 5K plans start with run-walk intervals to ease you into running properly. It’s a lot less scary than launching straight off the couch into a 2-mile continuous run, and much better for your body. Those muscles need a chance to adapt to your new regimen!
3. Warm Up Properly & Warm Down
Most new runners set off far too fast. It’s all that pent-up excitement and enthusiasm! Set off too fast, and you’ll pay for it a few blocks down the road when you’re gasping for breath, or the next day with tweaked muscles. Slowing down is my top tip for running without getting tired.
Warm up with dynamic stretches to get your muscles moving and improve your range of motion, and follow with 5-10 minutes of walking or easy running before you start your training session. At the end of your session, take time to warm down. I like to walk or jog the last mile and finish with some light stretching.
4. Work On Your Mobility
This is my best tip for all aging runners. It’s my best tip for everyone, even if you’re not a runner. Chairs have killed our mobility. Sitting all day stops our hips from working properly. Opening up your hips and improving hip mobility are among the best things you can do for your runner’s body. It will help to reduce muscle imbalances and protect against injury.
5. Build Strength
Wobbly legs will be more injury-prone, so when you first start running, it’s a good idea to build short strength training sessions into your running routine. Try these bodyweight exercises for runners.
Alternatively, sign up for a yoga-for-runners class or take a class online. Yoga poses are ideal for building leg and core strength, all essential for runners. Yoga standing poses will help improve balance, which many older runners struggle with, and can be a great help in improving ankle strength.
6. Start With Walking
If you haven’t run since school, it’s best to start with walking. Walking is a low-impact activity that will help your body get used to moving again without putting too much stress on your joints. Walking at a brisk pace will build fitness and ease you into running. Start your Couch to 5K program when you can walk for 20 minutes continuously at a brisk pace.
7. Allow For Lots Of Recovery Time
When you start running, you need to be patient. This holds for runners of any age. It takes time for your muscles and joints to adapt to the new activity. It’s especially true when you’re an older runner.
Older runners will take longer to recover from runs than new runners in their 20s and 30s. That’s normal and nothing to worry about. Just make sure you allow for enough recovery time between runs.
Build rest days and easy runs into your training schedule. If you wake up feeling tired, it’s okay to take an extra rest day. If you try to do too much too soon, you’ll end up injured and frustrated. Slow and steady wins the race!
8. Don’t Run On An Empty Stomach
I learned this one the hard way. Running with the club a few years ago, I fainted at the end of a long training run. A fellow clubmate stopped me from hitting the deck.
Up until then, I’d felt fine. I was running well and keeping up with the group of mainly younger runners. The run was about 90 minutes: long enough to burn through my glucose stores. Fortunately, I came around quickly and felt much better after chomping through a whole bag of jelly babies! My doctor ran tests and gave me the all-clear. The conclusion: exercise-induced hypoglycemia: low blood sugar level – from running at a fast pace on empty.
I’m not diabetic, and I’d never fainted before – so it came as a huge shock. It didn’t put me off running, but these days I always carry a sugary snack with me and will have a sweet or two if I’m out running for more than an hour.
9. Enjoy Your Running
There are all sorts of reasons for running, but if you’re going to make running a long-term habit, you need to enjoy it. If you dislike running on your own, join a club; it’s so much easier to motivate yourself when surrounded by running friends. You can set a goal by signing up for a race, or use running as an excuse to explore new places – find a scenic trail and turn your run into a mini-adventure.
10. Quality vs Quantity
Beginner runners often focus on distance, racking up longer runs rather than aiming for quality. If you want to become a better runner, there’s a lot more to running than distance.
The long run is an important part of your training schedule but as you become a more experienced runner, quality speed work sessions are just as important – intervals, fartlek, hill sessions, tempo runs – these will all help you get stronger and become a faster runner.
Of course, quality vs quantity all depends on what type of runner you want to be. Not everyone wants to be the first over the finish line. There’s nothing wrong with jogging or aiming for adventure as an ultra runner.
For most runners, the sweet spot is an 80/20 split. 80% of runs at an easy pace and 20% of quality sessions building strength and speed. Racking up excessive junk miles at a medium pace doesn’t give your body time to recover or do anything for your progress as a runner.
For older runners, focusing on quality running is the best way to avoid overuse injuries and get the most out of your training.
11. Cross Training
One way to keep your running focused on quality over quantity is to supplement your running with cross-training. Low-impact sports such as cycling and swimming carry a lower injury risk for older runners but can still build strength and fitness.
Cross-training is a good way to add variety to your training and keep it fun. By adding cross-training to your schedule, you’re building strength and giving your running muscles a rest. It means you’ll get more benefits from your running sessions and can help you avoid over-training.
12. Injury Prevention
Avoiding injury is important for all new runners, but it’s especially important when you start running at 50-plus. Injuries take longer to heal in older bodies. Remember, less is more. It’s important to build a regular running habit rather than try to run too much too soon.
Build distance slowly and wait until your legs are stronger before adding intervals and fast training sessions. Use strength training and cross-training to become a well-rounded runner capable of handling more demanding training sessions. Being cautious is the best way to enjoy running rather than becoming a runner plagued with injuries from over-training.
