Age related or running related?

[Clarebear81]

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?

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.

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.

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

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

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.

It’s probably a combination of age and running. I know that if I don’t stretch my hamstrings get very tight, which triggers my lower back issues. I think that as we get older we can’t get away with things in the way we could when our bodies were younger.

Go and see a chiropractor or a physio for an MOT, seriously they are worth their weight in gold. A good one will tell exactly what you’re doing while running, exactly where your weak points are and where you are compensating. Far better to see one at this stage than for an actual injury, and it might not be as straightforward as you think- I had a hamstring injury years back, thought it had resolved, but since then I have had a catalogue of compensation injuries (hip flexor tendon, the sole of my foot, calf pains, rib cage pain) and they all stem from this hamstring weakness. They will give you specific exercises to stretch and strengthen as you need to do both to fully resolve anything. They do a great sports massage too.

I’m 60 and don’t get these issues so it’s not just age. Do you stretch after your runs? I’ve done yoga for years and I think that helps. There’s a yoga app I use called Downward Dog which is great-you set your level and the type of yoga you want and time you have and off you go. I never got on with Adrienne as too much wittering. Have a wider variety of exercise in general other than running as it looks like some muscles are underused.

I have been running for over 20 years without any injuries … however since i got over 40 it all started to go down hill. I have hip and lower back problems all of the time and see more of my fysio then i’d like.
I can only run for 20 minutes twice a week now. I do loads of exercises to strengthen my hips like squats and lunges and the like. But it isn’t helping enough.

I agree with precious posters, if you get older you can’t get away with muscle problems that easily, like you did when you were younger.

tried a beginner Yoga with Adrienne on YouTube, complete disaster, couldn’t even do downward dog

and this is exactly your problem, you have no flexibility which in turn will be impacting your running.

I am a triathlete and train every day, including running 3 runs a week, but I also do 15-20 minutes yoga stretches EVERY DAY.

In winter i reduce how many times I swim/bike/run and do 2/3 gym sessions instead - strong muscles and flexible ligaments/tendons support your joints when running.

You won't be able to do yoga moves straight off the bat, but the more you do them the more flexible you will get - that's the point!

You also probably need to take a collagen supplement - we lose it as we age and collagen is what makes our skin, muscles, ligaments and tendons stretchy.

As others have said. It’s age but can be helped with Strength and Yoga or Pilates.

It’s really important you incorporate these into your exercise routine and that may mean less running time wise.

I do loads of exercises to strengthen my hips like squats and lunges and the like. But it isn’t helping enough.

Squats and lunges only work your glutes/hamstrings really.

You need to include exercises to work your hip flexors and abductors too.

I'm very surprised your physio hasn't told you this and shown you what to do.

work on flexibility, stretches, Pilates, yoga

get your arches checked. Menopausal fallen arches can lead to tight ham strings. May need arch support.

use a ball or foam roller to rid the tight areas on lower half. Or get a massage. Or sports physio check over.

I'm late 30s and I'm now at the point I can't run at all for a few months and it's all down to doing no strength and conditioning.
I'm now slowly working on flexibility and building muscle, then I can slowly start jogging at the start of next year.
Please don't let niggles turn into injury.

@MrsRachelDanvers

Is the app Downward Dog or Down Dog?
thanks 🙏

Our bodies aren't like engines which wear out as they're used. The body is self-repairing and responds to the stress of exercise by building back better. As long as you don't load your body beyond its ability to repair, and ensure you rest and eat well to support recovery, you should become stronger and feel the effects of aging more slowly. It could be that you're doing too much of one thing or not doing strength and mobility work to complement and support your running. I would try changing your routine a bit and seeing how you feel. Oh and while yoga isn't for everyone, you don't need to be flexible to do yoga in the same way you don't have to be clean to have a shower!

@McIntire sorry -my bad-it’s the Down Dog app!

Not being able to do a downward dog is exactly why you should be doing yoga!

I run and do yoga. The latter lengthens what running tightens! Try a yoga for runners video, or one that focuses on the IT band. Adrienne and Kassandra on you tube will have them. It will be really tough at first but you need to do it.

Whether age or "running" the remedy is the same: stretching, flexibility exercises & mixing in other kinds of exercise so you have less risk of over-use injuries.

You're not old enough for your body to be showing signs of ageing (unless you had a very early menopause)

Runners who don't do other sports or strength/flexibility sessions will end up with really unbalanced musculature - which manifests itself as weakness in some parts of the body and stiffness in others.

Solution is to work on the parts that are causing you difficulty. Even if you hate it, pilates or yoga will help enormously - see it as a necessary evil to both improve your running now and lengthen your running life.

Weight training can also achieve similar, as can a good whole body workout on the various torture machines in a gym (get someone to help you sort out a programme - do not default to too much leg work because it feels easy!)

Or take up a sport that uses other parts of your body - try swimming or rowing?

For exercise which doesn’t feel like exercise, hill walking is great.Good for hip flexors, balance, stamina, cardio vascular fitness and excellent for eccentric exercise as you really have to control your muscles when coming down hill. Plus all the wonderful views and being in nature.

I detest yoga but there are plenty of 10/15 minute stretch videos on Youtube.

I agree with the pp about needing a mix - got a knee injury through running without having built leg muscle, I now do a mix of strength, barre and running (really need to add in more stretching!) and knee niggles have all but gone.

I’m not in the UK so I don’t know the correct English names of all the other excercises they gave me (or the muscles).
I just put some extra effort in translating :)
I have a piriformis-problem … I also do the clam and pigeon and the monster walk , loads of stretching. I don’t think you need to worry about the quality of my fysio.

While there’s some great advice I think the main reason I run is for mental health. It calms my anxiety and shitty moods, I’ve never really got that from other forms of exercise, I think it’s the being out in the outdoors and the fact running is damn hard, I come home a changed person. Lifting weights while a necessary evil I get damn all from, same could be said for the exercise bike, hated that damn thing its my clothes hanger now.

Is there any other activity that would give a similar runners high that wouldn’t be as sore on the body?