three to six of these leg-burning efforts,
allowing one to two minutes of recovery
in between, can have impressive effects.
Then prioritize recovery—something
too few goal-oriented runners do, says San
Millán. The solution: Limit hard workouts
to twice a week; take one rest day a week,
and make sure 50 to 75 percent of your
training is endurance intensity, in which
you can talk easily.
40s
Muscle mass starts declining at age 40,
and the risk of running-related injuries
jumps significantly after 45. You need to
stay strong to stay in the sport, so start
strength-training twice a week year-
round. “[Losing strength] may be imper-
ceptible at first, but it’s happening, and it
sets you up for injury since your muscles
support your joints,” DiNubile says.
Then let injuries heal completely. Sixty-
nine percent of masters athletes try to
push through pain in order to stay active.
You might’ve been able to get away with
that when you were younger, but not
now. “Little nagging pains can become
full-blown injuries,” warns DiNubile.
Prevent injuries through cross-training,
strength-training, and recovery, but if
they do crop up, it’s important to let them
resolve so they don’t become chronic.
50s
Muscles get tight and connective tissue
loses its elasticity, a one-two punch that
can cause injury and force a shortened
stride, slowing you down. Make range of
motion a priority. Warming up is essential
now, says DiNubile. “Get the blood and
synovial f luids f lowing to lubricate your
joints, especially before hard training or
racing a 5K.”
Then stretch it out. A survey of masters
athletes by Vonda Wright, M.D., author
of Fitness After 40, revealed that half of
them spent 5 percent or less of their total
training time stretching, most of them
less. “You can lose 10 to 15 percent of
your range of motion and not even know
it,” says DiNubile. “Runners commonlydevelop tightness in the calves, low back,
hip f lexors, and hamstrings,” he says. That
hinders your stretch/ref lex response,
literally removing spring from your step
and slowing your pace. “Yoga is a great
complement for runners. At the very least,
perform a static stretching routine in the
evening.” And be sure to foam-roll.
60s
Maintaining balance and proprioception,
the ability to sense the position of one’s
body in space, are essential. Both start
to decline during this decade and put
you at risk for trips, falls, and orthopedic
injuries. Tai Chi—a traditional Chinese
low-impact, slow-motion exercise—can
keep balance and proprioception sharp.
It also builds total-body strength and
can help you maintain your stride. In one
study of active 60-somethings, those who
practiced Tai Chi had significantly better
proprioception than their peers who ran
or swam. Plus, it can relieve joint pain
from arthritis, which affects almost half
of adults age 65 and older.
70+
Good news! If you’re still running now,
you’ve avoided or successfully overcome
injury and disease that can sideline run-
ners in their later years. This is the decade
when most runners notice performance
decline. Now is when you should prior-
itize strength work. Lean muscle slips
away precariously quickly after age 70, at
which point you can lose 40 to 50 percent
of your strength, so it’s important to lift
weights two to three days a week. And
you’re never too old to start: A study of
adults ages 85 to 97 found that after 12
weeks of strength-training, leg strength
improved up to 47 percent.
Then watch the weather. Your body’s
heating and cooling systems start to conk
out due to decreased circulation and
sweat rate, leaving you more susceptible
to hypothermia and heatstroke. Your
perception of how the temps affect you
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