Interesting research on running and speeding up your workout from the University of Colorado in Boulder and Humboldt State University in Arcata, California:
“When the researchers compared older runners’ walking efficiency to that of young people, which had been measured in earlier experiments at the same lab, they found that 70-year-old runners had about the same walking efficiency as your typical sedentary college student. Old runners, it appeared, could walk with the pep of young people...
The good news for people who don’t currently run is that you may be able to start at any age and still benefit, Dr. Ortega said. “Quite a few of our volunteers hadn’t take up running until they were in their 60s,” he said.
And running itself may not even be needed. Any physically taxing activity likely would make you a more efficient physical machine, Dr. Ortega said. So maybe consider speeding up for a minute or so during your next walk, until your heart pounds and you pant a bit; ease off; then again pick up the pace. You will shave time from your walk and potentially decades from your body’s biological age.
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Jessica's tips: Before you start running or walking, think of your directions: “I allow my neck to be free, so my head may balance at the top of my spine and my whole torso may lengthen and widen.” Enjoy the environment and look out and around you rather than getting lost in thought.
