It’s never too late

Think you’ve missed the boat on the health benefits that running can offer? Think again… ‘If you didn’t run much as a child, you can still make up for lost time,’ says exercise physiologist Tom Cowan. ‘You can take it up later in life and improve rapidly with training.’

Boost your fitness

How inactive you have been and for how long will have an impact on your health and fitness starting point, but it doesn’t mean that running won’t bring significant improvements. ‘If you’ve not been physically active and start to run in, say, your forties, be aware that you’ll probably have a lower physiological capacity than someone in their early twenties who exercises frequently,’ says Cowan. ‘But by running a few times a week, you can significantly enhance your cardiovascular fitness.’

Improve your health

It’s not just your stamina that will benefit. ‘At any age, performing cardiovascular exercise can result in physiological adaptations that benefit your health,’ says Cowan. ‘Frequent cardiovascular exercise can improve the body’s composition and help maintain a healthy weight. Being physically active can also improve your lipid profile and cholesterol levels, which can help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. These can all be issues as we age – running is a great way to tackle them.’

Turn back time?

Although our bodies age, running later in life can help slow down some of the effects, says Cowan. ‘Our VO2 max tends to decline from our mid-twenties; research suggests that it falls by about 10% every decade,’ he says. ‘But doing frequent cardiovascular exercise, such as running, can help combat this. Being active can also help slow the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength as we age, which begins in our thirties. If you add a few resistance training sessions each week to your runs, you can further improve your strength and endurance.’

Are you ready?

‘If you’re new to running, check with your GP first to see if running’s a safe and appropriate activity for you to do. But if you thought running wasn’t for you, you certainly haven’t missed the boat if you weren’t into it at school.’