How to Keep Running and Stay Healthy in Your Senior Years: Expert Advice

How to Keep Running and Stay Healthy in Your Senior Years: Expert Advice

Many people don't want to give up certain sports habits they've developed over decades. However, after the age of 50, proven exercises can work against you, warns certified trainer Kristen Gislop in Eat This Not That.

"As someone who has been involved in sports and coaching all my life, I have seen firsthand how training at age can increase or disrupt a runner's longevity in sports," he noted.

The expert gave a number of tips, which, according to him, will help to adapt sports to the needs of the body and stay healthy even in old age.

1. Give up energy bars and alcohol Around the age of 50, people often meet with friends for coffee, drinks or food. Some people spend a large part of their lives traveling. In such circumstances, it becomes more difficult to adhere to proper nutrition, and it is even more important at this time than a few years ago.

Gislop claims that food, stress and drinks affect blood glucose levels, which need to be controlled. The expert advises focusing on proteins, fruits and vegetables, as well as complex carbohydrates. You should also try to avoid processed foods and excess sugar and sweeteners.

2. Stop running without cross-training If you only run, you need to add some more training that will involve other muscle groups, such as swimming or cycling. It can be classes in the gym. You can choose something that is not difficult for you, but will make you move differently than while running.

3. Add mobility Can you sit on the floor, cross your legs, and get up, crossing your arms over your chest? If not, add some mobility to your monotonous movements. The trainer advises to focus on those movements that are difficult to perform.

4. Stop running every day Running can be replaced by walking or a light jog, which improves the health of the cardiovascular system, sleep, reduces heart rate at rest and requires less recovery.

5. Stop running the same route and pace It's easy to go out the door and run the same circle every day at the same pace. Many older athletes are afraid to run fast on a treadmill, because the fear of falling is real.

"The attached belt gives me a sense of security. I can increase the speed and work on being confident in my ability to maintain a high turnover rate with the belt," Gislop explained.

6. Don't ignore recovery tools The trainer advises to take advantage of new research and new technologies, such as using compression boots for recovery.

"Use red light therapy or try a cold plunge. Personally, I like new technologies, and I tend to start using them early to test," the expert noted.

7. Stop avoiding races You can introduce prizes for the best running result. The trainer assures that runners over 60 can show good results.

8. Don't skip strength training Gislop said that due to a fracture, he could not do strength exercises for a long time and as a result lost the muscle of his left lower leg. Until now, 14 years later, he says that his left calf is smaller than the right one. This is an argument in favor of the fact that muscles need strength training.

9. Stop following general training plans Most training plans include a day off on Monday and longer sessions on weekends.

"When we turn 50, we all need to review our schedule and focus on recovery. For most people, one day a week is not enough. You may need a day of rest every 3-4 days, depending on your training program," the trainer noted.