Is 70 too old?

by Rosemary
(Australia)

I don’t want to race. I just want to run for fun. Am I too old at 70 to learn to run? What advice can you give me please?

Nicole's reply
Hi Rosemary

I love your question and 70 is certainly not too old to take up running :). I am part of a local running club (we run for fun mainly), and a good percentage of the runners are over the age of 70.

Naturally as we get older our body slows down and suffers from more wear and tear. This means that we are not going to be sprinting around like the younger runners as that will just lead to injury but it doesn't mean that we can't get out there and run at our own pace and our own rhythm.

My advice for you when starting out is to first get the OK from your doctor. Then take things slowly and see how you feel as you go along. Listen to your body at all times and don't force anything. If you can, find a running buddy or even join a group as it can be much more fun and motivating when running with others. Get lots of sleep too and make sure to up your fluid intake, especially on your running days.

You might find these pages useful:
Running for Beginners
Beginner Running Tips
Runners Stories

I hope that helps and do let me know how you get on.