if you are a regular runner, would you say you look older than your age?

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I have heard many people comment that running causes people to look older than they are due to the impact shockwaves and being exposed to the elements outside.

I just wondered if there is any truth in this as I really enjoy running! (but not to detriment of my good looks )

Thanks

I agree with LadyAntonella and family.

The biggest cause of aging? Getting older.

Everyone ages differently, I'm not sure it's true to say that all overweight people look young either. Unfortunately it's just the same old stuff of finding a stick to beat women with - so you can run a marathon and are fitter at 50 than most 20 year olds? Yeah well, you've got wrinkles so get down off your high horse.
I know loads of men who are running and cycling into their 50s and 60s. I've never heard a single comment about if they look their age. I doubt very much whether any of them are devoting any time to thinking about it or chatting with other men about it. Exercise is so important for lots of reasons and we need to encouraging ourselves and other women to do it. It's actually the opposite of aging because it makes you live longer. So ner.

When I was a girl, I was told too much reading would give me wrinkles.

I rather hoped we'd got past all that.

so you can run a marathon and are fitter at 50 than most 20 year olds? Yeah well, you've got wrinkles so get down off your high horse
he-he
yep there is certainly a bubble bursting motive behind these 'observations' about wrinkly old runners :o

I think it's my 2 children and not sleeping a full night through in about 4 and a half years that make me look knackered, not the running!!!

foxykins: IMO male runners tend to look worse facially

If that's true, then I guess it's because men are less likely to wear moisturiser and/or sunscreen. DH runs and a few years ago complained his face felt "dry". He now moisturises - and looks young for his age.

Can't say I've ever felt shockwaves rippling through my face when I run, maybe some people run so fast that they have some sort of g force thing going on

For those of us who aren't bionic I think much of the impact t force will be absorbed by other tissues in the body
Maybe if you have big bloodhound style jowls they might flap about and stretch over time😝

Taybert nails it! It's about telling women what they can and can't do, and putting scare tactics on women who do stuff that's intrinsically good for them rather than aimed at making them look pretty in the eyes of other people (thus making them think of their bodies in a positive way in terms of what they can do, rather than getting them to constantly think negatively about what they look like and thus buy loads of expensive beauty products).

I run a bit, can't be arsed to do it for my appearance, can only ever get motivated when I have some external reason for wanting to be fit (generally climbing or playing football).

Somehow this reminds me of the time my female climbing partner and I came across a Daily Mail or similar abandonned on the table of a cafe - the sidebar of shame had an article about remembering to put sunscreen on your hands to ensure they stayed wrinkle free, because hands were the biggest giveaway that you were ageing... We looked at each other's scabby knuckles (there is a climbing technique called jamming which involves, as the names suggests, jamming your hands into cracks in the rock then putting your weight on them) and just pissed ourselves laughing.

I'm 50, I have quite big sun marks on my face, largely down to the days out climbing on sea cliffs/Alpine faces etc. when (at the time) I was bricking it and had other things on my mind than reapplying sunscreen. I look at those marks and think of all the fabulous times I've had in really exciting and beautiful places.

Exactly lurcio (and taybert). Woe betide a woman who isn't pretty at all times .

Should add, there's nothing wrong with wanting to look pretty/well groomed/well presented. (As I'm getting older, I've got a bit of a thing going for pretty jewelry that lifts my sagging face, without wanting to overdo it and look bling-tastic). But when someone else is telling you "don't do X, Y, Z because you'll look less pretty", where X, Y, Z are enjoyable, empowering, healthy, intellectually stimulating, interesting activities that you like doing, it's kind of worth asking why the someone else is telling you that!

Also, why is beauty always associated with passivity and stillness and unmarkedness? There is a real, raw and very womanly beauty of power and resilience that comes with lines and strength.

So all the people who run say they look younger. And all the people who don't run say the people they know who run, look older.

So all the people who run say they look younger. And all the people who don't run say the people they know who run, look older.

I'd say yes, runners do tend to look older but only as they reach late thirties and beyond (the same goes for walkers and people who do a lot of outdoor sport). It's the sun exposure to unprotected skin more than anything. Runners do however have that gaunt look about them rather than the buff look of other outdoor types due to the pounding.

So fine when you're young but bad news as you age.

I know several runners and the men in particular look very haggared and as they age, their chest, arms and legs have sagging skin too.

LadyAntonella- I agree with everything you said

I am a runner and whilst I look younger than my age, I certainly don't look as young as my mum did at my age (not a runner). I really don't care, but I have decent genetics within me so can be blasé about it. (Mum now 70 and still has no deep wrinkles and definitely no forehead wrinkles!),

My FIL is a serious distance runner. Other than being horribly thin he's OK for looking his age.

Former colleague was also a distance runner. Sadly she looked about 20years over her age, was almost emaciated in appearance but that may have been down to her not eating well as well as having very "exposed" skin.

As someone with a long thin face, years of child rearing, busy job and too much wine consumption, I don't think I can risk the serious running

DH is a runner. On average 10k every other day, in all weathers. Only lightening or ice keep him home.
He looks much younger than 47.
He does wear sunscreen though, and moisturises.

I'm a runner, regularly run half marathons and even a marathon or two in my time, plenty more planned. Have to say that I am a bit craggy and baggy of face, very slim though so it's a balance I guess. Actually, I don't really care. I bloody love running and am not that bothered by a few wrinkles when I think of what I can physically achieve!

I'm nearly 40 and a regular runner. Generally 5-10k distances but I've also run a number of half marathons and trained for a marathon earlier this year.
People are often surprised that I'm as old as I am. I'm very petite which I suspect contributes to this view.
A couple of years ago I lost too much weight through running and not eating enough and I look back at those photos and think my body looks good but my face looks knackered. I'm a bit heavier now and look better for it.