Ultramarathon in your fourties

The world suddenly seems to be full of them. People in their forties and even fifties, discovering fitness and suddenly turning to marathons or iron man events.

A word of caution if you are among them.

I changed my life at forty. Prior, I had seen little exercise for almost twenty-five years. In the intervening period, my respiratory and cardiovascular system became weak.

My heartbeat rose and VO2Max fell, indicative of the above.

If someone like me suddenly took to running a marathon, the cardiovascular system would find it difficult to adapt.

One of the potential side effects if I persist is an enlarging of my heart muscles.

My case is not an isolated one.

Even professional athletes, when measured, show indications of severe inflammation of the heart after a long-distance run. In their case, though better trained, the repetitive inflammation of the heart results in damage to the heart muscles.

Increased risks include heart scarring, septal holes, arrhythmia, and arterial calcification.

The human heart can’t handle that stress. Not if you have not spent a lifetime building capacity.

So, what should you do if the desire to run long-distance hits you late in life?

As Ben Greenfield said on my show recently, “ask yourself why?” Why do you wish to run this way and what is your purpose?

For most people, it is no longer about winning gold medals. It is too late for that. If it is fitness, you are after; you are better off walking, hiking or even cycling at a slow, steady pace.

Any form of cardiovascular exercise that does not overtly strain the heart, even done for long periods, is great for you.

So, find an activity that does not take your heartbeat above 120. Maintain that pace for the entire duration of the exercise. Your body will thank you for it.

Reach out to me on twitter @rbawri Instagram @riteshbawriofficial and YouTube at www.youtube.com/breatheagain