{"id":208049,"date":"2025-10-08T02:52:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T02:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/208049\/"},"modified":"2025-10-08T02:52:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T02:52:09","slug":"at-64-i-strength-train-and-run-20-30-miles-a-week-here-are-my-tips-for-staying-active","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/208049\/","title":{"rendered":"‘At 64, I strength train and run 20-30 miles a week \u2013 here are my tips for staying active’"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you had told me 15 years ago that at 64, I\u2019d be a running coach who shares fitness and motivation tips on the internet, I definitely wouldn\u2019t have believed you.<\/p>\n

Growing up, I was always active, but it came in spurts \u2013 a tennis match here, a bit of swimming there. I didn\u2019t identify as an athlete, and I certainly never ran for fun. Then, I got older and had three kids, and my definition of exercise was restricted to chasing them around the house. My husband had a demanding job, and between housework and taking care of the children, there wasn\u2019t much free time for me to work out. (Not that I particularly wanted to, anyway.)<\/p>\n

But then I turned 50, and I was hit with a bit of a wake-up call. <\/p>\n

During my annual checkup, my doctor told me that my bone density score had dropped slightly since my last scan. (I had started doing DEXA scans a few years prior as part of my annual checkups \u2013 it\u2019s a standard offering in Cyprus, where I was living at the time.) He explained that it\u2019s pretty hard to build bone density back up, but it\u2019s easier to maintain it, and taking up running might be a good way to do that. <\/p>\n

What to Read Next<\/p>\n

So, I went on my first run\u2026and I absolutely hated it. My lungs burned, my legs felt heavy, and I didn\u2019t get far at all before needing to stop and walk. I thought there was no way running could become a part of my regular routine! But a friend convinced me to reconsider and sign up for a 5K race to have a shared goal to work towards.<\/p>\n

To make running feel less torturous during training, I realised I had to slow down, and bring water with me. I also reminded myself to take in the scenery around me, brought a buddy to chat with to pass the time, and even grabbed a slice of cake after a run once in a while to make it more fun.<\/p>\n

My passion for running slowly grew and before I knew it, I was signing up for more and more races. Racing started becoming less of a tool for motivation to stay consistent, and more of a fun hobby; I loved the camaraderie I experienced at the back of the pack on race day. <\/p>\n

Now, nearly 15 years later, at 64, running is my favorite way to exercise. I\u2019ve done about 25 trail races, five half-marathons, and three full marathons, and I\u2019ve also made a career out of running: I\u2019m a coach, content creator<\/a>, and ASICS brand ambassador. <\/p>\n

Today, I typically log 20 to 30 miles every week through four different runs.<\/p>\n

But my runs look different depending on whether or not I\u2019m in a training cycle. If I\u2019m training for a race \u2013 especially a longer one \u2013 I\u2019ll typically do one long run (based on time, not distance), one speed, interval, or hill run, and two easy 5K to 10K runs. But when I\u2019m just maintaining my mileage, I usually hit the same types of runs, but play around by adding in a fartlek run (a type of speed play), mix in a run\/walk if I\u2019m in the mood, or just move runs around based on how I feel and be more flexible.<\/p>\n

I added strength training to my routine about five years ago after reading research about the importance of resistance training for building muscle as I age. I do a full-body strength training workout twice a week using weight machines at my gym. I honestly hate it \u2013 I\u2019d much rather be exercising out in nature \u2013 but I keep going because I know it\u2019s important as I get older. <\/p>\n

To try to make the gym a little more bearable, I try to keep these workouts short \u2013 just 30-minute sessions. I have my personal training certification, so I use my knowledge from that to create my workouts: I use about 10 machines targeting multiple parts of my body, and I gradually increase the weight I use on each machine over time to become stronger.
<\/p>\n

Since I live near the water, I also like to swim in the ocean about once a week with my friends all year round. When the weather\u2019s warm, I\u2019ll go for a 30-minute swim, but in the winter, it\u2019s more of a cold plunge since I don\u2019t wear a wetsuit \u2013 I just get in and out really fast, and it\u2019s exhilarating. <\/p>\n

These are my secrets to running healthily in my 60s:1.I commit to five minutes of movement most days \u2013 even when I don\u2019t feel like it. <\/p>\n

When I meet people who want to get into running, I always say, ‘Don\u2019t wait to be motivated, because motivation will never hit.’ Instead, I just decide I\u2019m going to exercise, even if I don\u2019t feel like doing it. Sometimes I even tell myself that I\u2019ll run for five minutes and if I hate it, I\u2019ll come home. Then, I always end up doing more than five minutes, because once I\u2019m out in the fresh air, that feeling of resistance starts to fade away. <\/p>\n

Sometimes, it also helps to operate on autopilot: I\u2019ll set out my running gear on my bedroom floor the night before, and I don\u2019t allow myself to think much when I get up. That way, I\u2019m not allowing those negative thoughts to tell me that I don\u2019t want to run. I just get dressed, put on my watch, grab my water, open the door, and leave. <\/p>\n

2. I listen to my body and prioritise recovery. <\/p>\n

I want to be able to run for years to come, so I treat my body well. Instead of running at a fast pace, I try to be gentle, and if I\u2019m feeling really tired on a run, I\u2019ll turn around and come home; I\u2019m very careful not to overdo it. I also always take my resting heart rate first thing in the morning: If it\u2019s elevated, I\u2019ll take that as a sign my body is stressed or not fully recovered, and give myself a rest day. <\/p>\n

Speaking of rest days, I take those quite seriously: I don\u2019t do chores or run a bunch of errands, I just watch a movie, eat some snacks, and focus on hydrating. Rest days are especially important as I age, since my body doesn\u2019t recover as quickly as it once did. <\/p>\n

3. I try to sneak in movement wherever I can. <\/p>\n

In addition to my weekly workout routine, I try to bake movement into my daily life so I\u2019m not sitting all the time. One way I do that is I always park in the farthest spot \u2013 or sometimes even a few blocks away \u2013 from where I\u2019m going. That way, I can sneak some extra steps in, which can really add up over time. Other small changes like taking the stairs instead of an elevator, or walking to pick up my takeout instead of having it delivered can add more movement into my day-to-day, too.<\/p>\n

I started running at 50 because I want to age as healthily as I can. That\u2019s my \u201cwhy,\u201d and remembering it keeps me motivated even when I\u2019m dreading a workout. I see people in my neighbourhood who are my same age, but they\u2019re physically deteriorating, and I refuse to end up like that. I feel like my body is quite flexible and active, and I want to keep it that way. I very much believe that if I stop being active, I\u2019ll lose that capability. I want to be able to open jars and get out of chairs when I\u2019m in my seventies, so I just keep moving \u2013 and I can\u2019t wait to keep doing so for the rest of my life. <\/p>\n

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Kara Cuzzone is a New York City-based writer, editor, and artist.\u00a0She has over seven years of experience covering health, wellness, and shopping-related topics for sites including Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Byrdie, Wondermind, and PureWow. In her spare time you can find her running (she’s raced seven half marathons and one full marathon), heading to a [solidcore] class, or devouring a beach read. She is also a passionate mental health advocate and volunteers with the National Alliance on Mental Illness’s\u00a0NYC chapter.\u00a0<\/p>\n