Five healthy habits to keep you running long term

Forty has become the new 30 in distance running, as we’ve seen many athletes achieve personal best performances beyond their glory years. Just because you are getting older, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on your running goals or stop being competitive. Many masters athletes have had some of the most rewarding years of their life by staying consistent with their training and sticking to healthy habits.

If you are a runner hoping to continue in the sport long-term, it is essential to remember these five healthy habits:

1) Fuel with healthy foods

Eating healthy has always been important, but it becomes crucial when you choose to pursue an active lifestyle as you age. Your university diet of pizza and beer three or four nights a week isn’t going to give you the nutrients you need to fuel your running. Foods high in protein like eggs, chicken and beef are essential in helping repair muscle tissue and maintaining muscle mass. It’s also important to fuel your body with fruits and vegetables, which contain vitamins and minerals like folate, potassium and vitamin C. A diet rich in vitamins and minerals will keep your gut and body 100 per cent and able to perform at its best as you age.

2) Listen to your body

Your muscles need time to recover from any damage they’ve sustained during a run. If your body is sore, do not force more pain on yourself by running. As we get older, our bodies naturally take longer to recover from strenuous activities.

3) Spend time on recovery

When you perform a high-intensity exercise like running, it will take time for your heart rate to recover and go back to a resting rate after the workout. As you age, the recovery process becomes slower. After a run, your body will need time to adapt to the exercise you performed by building up muscle and replenishing energy supplies. As you age, your muscle density decreases, which means more recovery time, because you have less muscle.

At least a quarter or half of the time that you spend running should be spent on recovery. Stretching or yoga are good ways to keep your muscles relaxed and strong after a run. Many runners also use recovery devices like a foam roller, lacrosse ball or muscle scraper. The point is to stimulate recovery by increasing blood flow by various means, though which devices you use are largely a matter of personal preference.

4) Mix it up with other exercises

As you age, your body will naturally begin to lose muscle mass. Therefore, adding one or two strength-training routines into your weekly schedule can help you build long-term success. Exercises like yoga, cycling and weight training can all help keep you strong and help prevent you from getting injured.

The secret to running into your 60s, according to several masters record-holders, is to not run every day and to complement your running with other exercises.

5) Stay motivated

When you’ve been running for a few years, it can be tough to find motivation at times. There are a few ways you can challenge yourself as an experienced or masters runner, which can keep you motivated to reach new heights. Try something you’ve never done before in the sport, like trail running or track racing (if you’ve always been a road runner). Embarking on a new challenge is bound to keep your motivation high.

posted Thursday March 3rd
by Running Magazine