Mental and physical benefits of running

FrICTION Physical and psychological benefits of running

Help Hubby Lose 50 Pounds	Stay In Shape At 45 Plus	Running For Attention: Treat ADHD By Running Running The World: How, Where To Run Abroad Revitalize Your Marriage After 45 Katie Couric-Brooks Perlin Workout Plan	Battling Internet Addiction	Marriage and Desire
My Husband Lacks Ambition	Help Hubby Lose Weight		Schizotypal Disorder	The Unfaithful Mind
Pyschology of Cheating	Passive Aggressive Spouse		7 Qualities Of A Good Partner	Pro Se Divorce
My Kid Has Type 1 Diabetes	Teen Diabetes Advice		How To Avoid Sociopaths	Build Your Dream Body

Use Google search to find running, fitness, staying in shape in middle age

Custom Search

Distance running for pleasure

[How to run the world: Runners report from Denmark]

Ron talks about life as a fun runner. "I'm not a jogger," he says, "I consider myself a runner, but I'm not a fanatic. I don't need to win races, but I like to take part and I like to train". He says he started to run because he didn't want to "slow down, stiffen, and bulk up". For those thinking of starting to run later in life, Ron's story is inspiring.

In my mid-40s I saw 50 approaching fast. There were many things about myself I didn't like. I drank too much beer, I ate too much, and I didn't get enough exercise.

I guess it's a feeling that many men in their 40s go through. I guess, too, that plenty don't do a lot about it because it can seem so daunting to cut down on food and drink, then find

the time for regular exercise. When you work hard, how are you going to set aside 30 minutes or an hour a day to be in the gym or running on local streets?

What's more, I admit a few beers can be a simple way to relax. You feel tired and stressed, you crack open a beer, sit in your favorite recliner, and you're better in minutes. You don't think about the calories, nor the fact that alcohol in anything more than small to moderate amounts is a depressant and not very good for you.

I had my battles with junk food, too. Too much pizza, too many burgers, too much Chinese takeout. That stuff's fast, convenient, and it tastes good.

So there I was at 45 with this feeling that lots of guys will recognize: my stomach felt constantly full; it was bloated. I tried to suck it in, but that was a strain. I could feel it pressing against my pants, and if I tried to move fast, I could feel my gut wobble. And it wasn't only my gut, but the backs of my arms, and my chest.

I looked in the mirror and saw my neck was much thicker than I wanted it to be. I turned sideways and was bitterly disappointed to see my neck running in a straight line from my chin to my chest. That's not how I saw myself in my inner mirror. There, I was a slim guy, never overweight, never burdened by a big belly.

I was also tired most days. It wasn't a tiredness that made me want to lie down and sleep, but it was a kind of mind fog, a lack of energy, that prevented me from tackling physically and mentally demanding tasks. I'd tell myself, "I can't do that now, I'm wiped out". Strangely, the fog would go away if I sat in front of the computer or tv.

One day, somewhere between 45 and 46, I decided I was going to turn things around. I'd workout, cut back on alcohol consumption, and eat smaller, healthier meals.

I'm not a gym and treadmill kind of person. Those are obviously great ways of getting in shape with other people, but they are not for me. If you're going to get serious about fitness and losing weight, it has to be enjoyable, maybe not initially, but in the long term you have to want to keep going. I longed to try road running, and I could see myself committed and motivated enough to get over the initial hump where any new activity is demanding and difficult.

The thing about running is you need to start gradually and slowly, especially if you're an older runner -- and extra especially if you're overweight. I was about 25 pounds too heavy, so there was no way I'd turn into an overnight running sensation. I was in for a long haul back to good health.

My starting distance was 1 mile. The first three months I spent as much time walking as I did running. I would run as far as I comfortably could. In the first week it was 100 yards or so, then I would walk until I was able to slow jog again. After two weeks I could slow jog a mile. It took me about 12 minutes.

Slowly I built up to running 5k, which is 3.1 miles. It was six months before I could comfortably run 5k under 25 minutes. Comfortable means I didn't collapse gasping on the ground at the end of it, nor did I ache the next day.

For those first six months, there were days I doubted I'd ever be a runner. At the end of some 5k runs, my shins would be in agony for a couple of hours after the run, sometimes my ankles and insteps ached the net day, and I suffered from groin pain. It would have been so easy to admit defeat and say running was not for me. But I stuck at it.

The benefits were obvious to see. The pounds came tumbling off, my wife started to look at me with enthusiasm. I switched from regular beer to lite, then I cut beer and wine out almost completely. I mixed with a different group of friends, runners rather than drinkers, and I turned my eating habits around.

If I was at McDonalds, I ordered the Big 'n' Tasty without fries rather than the Big Mac Meal. I avoided overeating, didn't snack between meals, drank more water than I had ever done before. I got into making simple but satisfying meals like pasta topped with fresh salsa. I cut out sugar altogether, stopped putting butter on my bread, stopped drinking soda except for diet.

The man boobs disappeared, the flab around my arms became a distant memory, and the last-lingering survivor of my flabby days, the beer belly, made a stubborn last stand, then left town for good.

Now, aged 50, I run 5 miles four days a week, I rest two days, and my long run, usually on Sundays is 8 to 10 miles. These distances don't sound impressive to me today, but I can remember the days when 5 miles seemed a long distance to drive. Running 5 miles was not on any map or radar that I owned. It was an impossible task, or so I thought in my mid 40s.

Today, a five-mile training run after a day's work is pure pleasure. I run the first mile very slow in about 10 minutes just to warm up and get my heart and lungs accustomed to the work they're going to do, then I slip into an easy stride where I feel light and relaxed. I don't strain to breathe anymore, I don't stiffen up, I don't ache.

I climb hills without worrying about tiredness before reaching the top, I love long gentle inclines where I can think about my form (runner's talk for posture and style while running): I swing my arms gently; hold my head up; keep my back straight; make sure my feet are padding gently along the ground.

There are days when the run is so good that I feel I can run forever. Legs, arms, heart, lungs, and mind all seem to work together in perfect harmony. It gives such a warm, wonderful buzz to be out there. "Remember this feeling," I tell myself, "think of these moments when you're injured and can't run. This is why I run."

Even if I run fairly fast, 5 miles in 45 minutes, I am never tired and breathless when I finish. Mostly it's a feeling of calm and relaxation. I stay on my feet walking about for 10 minutes after the run. That's my cool down to prevent stiffness and injury. I sip water as I'm walking around. I sometimes stretch a little.

I sleep much better since I started running. For me it's a perfect way to round off a day. Running melts away the stress of the working day and makes me feel good to be alive.

There are runners who prefer to start the day with a run. They say it makes them more alert, concentrates their minds, makes it easier to focus on work assignments during the morning. I definitely agree that running improves alertness and focus.

I'd describe myself as a fun runner. I run for pleasure. I enjoy races, the local 5 and 10ks, but I have no expectations of winning my age group. I'm not a competitive runner, I don't think I'll ever be one of the guys who trains 70 or 80 miles a week, or runs 20 miles for a long run. I don't even aspire to run marathons. I prefer to keep my running on a moderate level, I want it always to be enjoyable, not hard work.

I guess I represent most runners or the average runner, if there is such a thing. I have felt the health benefits of regular running, I avoid injury by not overdoing it, and I don't get into the whole competitive thing of having to beat people and feeling bad about myself if I don't. I'm happy to be out there alongside like-minded people, often overjoyed at being able to put one foot in front of the other for mile after mile.

Ten undisputed benefits of running: Ben, 55, describes how running has helped him for 15 years

Life with a clutter bug: a messy and disorganized wife drives a man to divorce

British celebrities of screen, track and field, plus your guide to Brit food, humor and customs

"I love striking beauty, not the girl next door"

Running for attention: treating ADHD with aerobic exercise

Top British totty: Hottest British stars of screen, track and field

Divorce and suicide: how the agony of divorce can send you to the brink of suicide

My wife wants a divorce. She hates me, my life is over

Husband wants to stop cheating and commit to marriage but can't

I want my life back: kicking internet addiction

Magical thinking: how to identify schizotypal personality disorder

Protect against sociopaths: how a sociopath can break your heart and leave you broke

Build the body beautiful, give overweight the finger

Sarah Palin's training routine

Social anxiety disorder: nervous before meetings and social gatherings? Worried about meeting people? Uncomfortable in a crowd? Avoid challenges at work?

Share your joys with an older partner

Stay in shape at 50

Ron, 50, describes the pleasures of fun running. He is not a competitive runner, doesn't enter races to win age group awards, but he enjoys being in shape with like-minded people. "I am part of the global running community," he says, "and that makes me feel great."