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Original poster

Age related or running related?

30 replies

Clarebear81 · 06/10/2023 06:01

Interested to hear others thoughts. I’ve been running about 4 years now, I run usually 4/5 times per week and average about 20-25 miles per week so nothing major.

Im 43 now and the niggles have started to creep in, I can’t decide if it’s down to running or just getting older.

I never feel anything when running, it’s just in day to day life, say I dropped something on the floor, back of my legs are so tight it’s a struggle to bend over to lift it, or if I’m sitting at night on the sofa, when I go to stand up there’s a stiffness and weakness in my legs, takes a few moment to regain strength, I also made the mistake recently of trying to sit cross legged with one leg on top of other and ffs the pain right from the knee up back of leg. just little every day things like that.

What do you think age or is it my running?

OP posts:
JessicaFletcherMSW · 06/10/2023 06:17

As pp have said if you add in strength and flexibility to your weekly routine, this issue will likely go. In my experience and observations, you can get away with just running in your 20s and 30s but will get niggles if you continue this into 40/50s and beyond. I’ve added CrossFit - the warm up often focuses on flexibility and the rest of the session often is strength. I had got to the stage where I debated if really needed to pop upstairs and now I’m working on being able to sit down and get back up without using my hands at all. Also works on my grip strength which physio told me is another marker of what sort of old age you will have.

Original poster
Clarebear81 · 06/10/2023 06:15

That could be where I go wrong, I usually run Tue/Wed/Thur. then Sat/Sun so a few consecutive days

OP posts:
Original poster
Clarebear81 · 06/10/2023 06:14

Hate strength and conditioning tbh, I’ve dumbbells and bands, rarely use them. I’d thought about yoga, tried a beginner Yoga with Adrienne on YouTube, complete disaster, couldn’t even do downward dog lol, im brilliant at table top though. I’m not overweight either if anything I could do with gaining a few lbs so thought yoga would be easy, far from it

OP posts:
StamppotAndGravy · 06/10/2023 06:08

Could be running. I try to always leave a day between running otherwise niggles build up into injuries. Building in strength work will help as the PP said, and/or switching to something like cycling or swimming for one or two workouts.

AussieManque · 06/10/2023 06:03

How much strength and conditioning or stretching are you doing? Even say 2 * 15 mins yoga a week will make a big difference to keep niggles at bay.

I've got super stiff hamstrings and I find that I need that extra non-running movement to keep me free of niggles. I'm terrible at staying consistent with my strength and conditioning though! Glutes, abs, hip flexors, all very important.