Staying Injury Free

Warm-up and cool-down
As we age, a proper warm-up and cool-down becomes increasingly important. Since our muscles become brittle and lose their elasticity as we grow older, the chances of injury increase dramatically. By taking just ten minutes to thoroughly warm-up your muscles before a workout, you could save yourself from months of time off due to injury.


Stretch
As we surpass the big 4-0, it’s crucial that we commit ourselves to stretching and flexibility training. It will help compensate for the natural loss of flexibility and stride that comes with age. By remaining flexible, you will substantially decrease your chance of pulling or straining a muscle, which could result in a nagging injury.

Rest
For some of us, taking time off from running can be difficult. We depend on running to retain a certain level of fitness--not to mention sanity! However, taking time off is also important for performance, as well as avoiding injuries. As we age our bodies take longer to recover from racing and hard workouts. By allowing your body adequate time to recover, you will actually receive greater benefits from your workouts. Rather than the hard-rest-hard routine you were used to in your 20s and 30s, it may be time to switch to a hard-rest-rest or hard-rest-cross-train regime to reap the full benefits of your hard work and remain injury-free.

Cross-train
Cross-training is a wonderful way for master’s runners to take an extra day of rest while still enjoying an aerobic workout. Make sure you participate in non weight-bearing activities such as swimming or biking. Cross-training alleviates the stress running puts on your body (especially on your knees, shins and hamstrings) while allowing you to maintain your level of fitness.

Strength training
Lifting weights is a sure-fire way to help preserve your fitness and injury-free status. Strength training will increase your muscle strength, muscle mass and bone density, all of which help to fight injury and maintain fitness.
As we age, it seems as though our bodies begin to betray us. We notice a decline in our performance, we recover more slowly from our runs, and become more vulnerable to injury. However, by following these simple tips and accepting the inevitable, we can remain healthy and happy for years to come!