Runners

048 RUNNERSWORLD.CO.UK JULY 2018most adults, immune responseworsens drastically by middle age,declining further with each passingdecade. The older cyclists in the studybucked this trend, however, havingseemingly rejuvenated their immunesystems; they had almost as manyinfection-fighting T cells in theirblood as the group of young adults.PRESCRIPTION If you’re over 40and plan to keep running regularly,it’s time to make sure your body cancope with the stress – which meansstrength and conditioning work.Don’t worry, though, says Craggs, thisdoesn’t involve ingerless weightliftinggloves and a pricey gym membership.‘Twice a week, do this simple body-weight session at home,’ he says.‘Do one minute each of plank, leftand right side planks, hip bridge,single-leg squats and press-ups. Twicethrough is one set. Do three sets with60 seconds’ rest between each.’Run to...slow ageingLast year, scientists at the MayoResearch Clinic in Minnesota, US,illustrated how strenuous exercisecan alter the rate at which we age.They compared how genes workinside muscle cells after older andyounger people completed intenseexercise, and found that those aged64 and older had significantlydifferent gene behaviour afterpractising high-intensity intervaltraining (HIIT) for 12 weeks; andmany of those genes are directlyrelated to the health and ageing ofcells. Not only was there a decrease inage-related decline in muscle power,but there was also an increase in theproduction of mitochondria (themuscle cells’ powerhouses), whichcan help improve performance. Thekey was that instead of just running,the HIIT training included a mix ofstrength moves that help to buildall-over fitness and strength in away that running can’t.PRESCRIPTION Time to crack outsome Oregon Circuits (named afterthe University of Oregon, where theywere invented in 1983). This is theperfect HIIT session for runners,’ saysCraggs. ‘It improves speed, strength,cardio, stamina, posture and all-overitness – and there’s no equipment.’Rotate through the following movescontinuously for eight minutes tomake one set. Do three sets withtwo-minute rests between each set.Progress to sets of 10 and then12 minutes as you improve:- 400m at 5K pace (9/10 efort)- Body-weight squats (x 20)- Plank (20 secs)- 20 alternate lunges (10 each leg)- Bridge (20 secs)- Static squat (20 secsRun to...combatdementia``````If you’re a runner, congratulations:you’re doing a fine job of warding offdementia in later life. If you’ve juststarted running, congratulations toyou, too – you’ve already startedprotecting your brain. Scientists atthe National Institute on Aging in theUS analysed the effects of regularrunning on neurogenesis in testsubjects. What this means is howquickly the subjects could producenew neurons (the building blocksyour nervous system relies on to sendsignals to every part of your body)and how strong the connections werebetween those neurons. Active testsubjects were compared with non-activesubjects, and those who ran for amonth had many more new neurons,allowing them to better connect withthe brain’s communications network,improving spatial memory – often thefirst thing to decline with the onset ofdementia. The team then repeatedthe study but reduced the test periodto a week; the results were similar,with the new cells in the activegroup’s brains strengthening the partof the brain often associated withearly memory loss and dementia.``````PRESCRIPTION ‘The critical thinghere is to form a habit,’ says AndyLane, Professor of sports psychologyat the University of Wolverhampton.‘Set the goal of getting out the doorrather than how long and how far``````you’ll go for: “I’ll walk for ive minutes,then run and stop when I have hadenough...and then decide.” Conqueringthe thought of not going adds to thefeel-good sense that you have strongself-regulation skills. Once you get asequence going, keep setting goals,such as running for 25 days a month.’``````Run to...lower yourcancer risk``````Scientists have long known thatwomen who are physically fit havea lower risk of developing breastcancer, but they’re not yet sure why.A new study published in the journalCarcinogenesis compared a group of‘fit’ rats that were bred to have highlevels of physical fitness with a groupbred to have low fitness. They wereexamined to see how susceptible theyare to developing breast cancer whenexposed to a chemical known to lead``````I run to...improve myself-controlJon Gardner, 50,Sheffield``````‘After taking up runningin 2011 I completedthree marathons,each time training justenough to get round.But after each one Iput all the weight backon, going from 12 to15 stone because I ateand drank too much.Last year I developed along-term, structuredplan and began to runregularly. I also joineda gym and made sureI did something everyday early on to shift theweight. I found spinningclasses and using aWattbike [high-endindoor training bicycle]really effective atbuilding up my strengthand shifting pounds.I’ve gradually changedmy diet in all areas,and am the fittest andhealthiest I’ve ever beenin my adult life.’