The phone dings and a text comes in from my son’s girlfriend asking if I would sign up for a 5k run with her. I immediately texted back, “Of course, send me the details!”....then I started wondering.. when WAS the last time I ran anything?….September 26th, 2021. Oh dear.
My son started preschool in 2011 and l…I started “running”. I downloaded a couch to 5k on my pink iPod, bought a cheap wrist watch with a stopwatch on it and started without a prayer or a clue. For the next few years I ran regularly and even donned a few half marathon bibbs.
Running turned into lifting weights and hiking … but every once in a while I would join friends in a 5k as long as there was a brewery sponsoring it! My race times were consistently under 30 minutes. Not too shabby for no training.
Fast forward to the Day 1 of training for the 5k that was 6 weeks away. WTH?!? What happened to me!? I could barely squeak out a slow mile. Great. I also realized by day 3 I was miserable and NOT liking the new addition to my fitness routine.
Why I stopped training for the 5k and decided walking was my jam:
I am a healthy 46 year old woman and if I don’t feel like running, I don’t freaking have to.
I like walking. I REALLY like walking outside, I REALLY like walking on my treadmill and watching trashy reality shows on Netflix.
I began researching a reason to justify my bratty defiant attitude…..cortisol and the benefits of zone 2 cardio were my “out”s.
Cortisol
Cortisol, often known as the "stress hormone," naturally increases in response to various stressors, including exercise. While acute rises in cortisol during and after physical activity are part of the body's adaptation to stress, chronic elevation, especially in aging individuals like perimenopausal women, can stem from factors like stress, medications, depression/anxiety, and inflammation.
Intense physical activities, such as high-impact aerobics and running, create physical stress and inflammation, prompting the body to enter a "fight or flight" response. Cortisol is produced to help counterbalance these temporary conditions. However, when this cortisol elevation becomes chronic, often due to excessive or prolonged exercise, it can lead to adverse health effects. Over time, excessive cortisol production may contribute to muscle breakdown, immune system suppression, impaired sleep, and other negative outcomes. I decided running was “excessive”.
Recognizing the potential drawbacks of prolonged high-intensity exercise like running, some individuals have explored alternatives such as zone 2 cardio, which offers a gentler approach to cardiovascular fitness without the same cortisol-related concerns.
Zone 2 Cardio
Zone 2 cardio, characterized by low-intensity steady-state workouts, is often considered more suitable for the aging population than high-intensity cardio. It offers a safer and gentler option, reducing the risk of injuries that can be more prevalent among older adults. Furthermore, low-intensity cardio is sustainable over longer durations, making it accessible for those who may require extended workouts to achieve their fitness goals. This approach provides significant cardiovascular benefits, supports weight management, reduces stress, and promotes overall well-being without the physical demands and risks associated with high-intensity exercise. In essence, it offers an effective and enjoyable way for aging individuals to maintain their health and fitness while considering their changing physical capacities and well-being. COUNT. ME. IN.
As I dug deeper, I also found that your body’s fat burning abilities adapt very well with regular high-intensity exercise. It becomes more efficient at utilizing both carbohydrates and fats for energy. Over time, you may notice improvements in your endurance and the ability to sustain higher-intensity efforts, but if you are trying to lose fat…you may hit a plateau. This could cause you to train harder and more to the point of over training. Over training will lead to burnout, injury and discouragement.
My main message here, both to convince myself and to share with you, is that it's absolutely okay to choose walking over running. It's okay to swap the intense turbo kick class for a peaceful yoga flow session, unless, of course, you genuinely enjoy running or pushing yourself through a vigorous cardio class. The key is not to engage in activities just because you feel obligated to do so. Instead, focus on what you genuinely enjoy and can maintain consistently. As we age, it's perfectly normal to evolve our interests and activities to align with where our bodies are at in that moment.
Sara Lacharite is a Personal Trainer in central Maine, specializing in senior fitness and brain health training. Her passion lies in empowering pre- and current retirees to age adventurously with personalized fitness and wellness strategies, habit creation and emotional encouragement ... aiming to ensure their physical and mental wellbeing throughout their retirement journey! Visit her website to learn ways you can work with her locally or even virtually!
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