Start running in your 40s, 50s, or 60s safely

What to Do

Running at any age is beneficial and safe with proper progression. Allow more rest days between hard efforts, prioritize warm-ups, and add strength training to counteract age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia). Get medical screening if you have cardiovascular risk factors.

Why It Works

A Stanford 21-year longitudinal study found older runners postponed disability by almost 9 years and had 3x lower risk of early death. Runners over 65 who ran 30+ minutes 3x/week were 7-10% more efficient at walking than non-runners. An NHANES study found jogging 75+ minutes/week was associated with telomere lengths equivalent to ~12 years of biological youth.

Tips

• Recovery takes longer with age — add an extra rest day between runs compared to younger runners
• Bone density improves with weight-bearing exercise like running (critical for osteoporosis prevention)
• The run-walk method is excellent for sustainability and injury prevention at any age
• Strength training becomes even more important to maintain muscle mass and joint stability