Making Running Work for Women Over 40

I used to hate how my clothes fit when I looked at myself in the mirror. 

Now I know that loving how you look isn’t impossible even if you’re “older.” At 54, I have a very proportional figure compared to most women my age.

If that isn’t your reality right now – that’s OK – it wasn’t always mine either.

In fact, for most of my life, I was a “heavy set” girl.

Up until I took up running. One simple habit that has had an incredible impact on my life. 

Like so many others who started running, I quickly started feeling better, sleeping better, and – yes! – I started to ditch the unwanted weight.

However, the next steps of my journey weren’t meant to be as smooth as I had hoped.

Chasing my “runner’s high”

One of the most beautiful things about running is how GOOD you feel after a run. 

Once you hit 5 miles, the pain fades away, and the body starts to feel so light it feels like levitating. No exhaustion, just pure bliss. As if a wave of positivity goes through the body.

It’s even got a term – the “runner’s high.” 

Once I really made running a part of my routine, I started chasing that high. I craved it. And though I never imagined that exercising too much would ever cause me issues, it almost shattered my confidence forever. 

If you’re into running or thinking about running, pay close attention to this next part.

My “skinny fat” syndrome

It started with noticing a certain “puffiness” in my face. 

Then the “puffiness” came to my thighs and midsection. Before I knew it, my entire body was desperately holding on to water weight.

I didn’t know this back then, but this was a huge red flag. I was overtraining. I was just being too hard on my body following a running routine I had found online. 

I did the exact opposite of what I should have done. Instead of taking a step back from my routine, I doubled my efforts. 

I found a training plan for marathon runners and pushed myself even harder. I started going on longer, more frequent runs, desperate to beat the water weight. 

It didn’t take long for my body to start breaking down.

First, I felt pain beneath and around my kneecap. Then my shins started to hurt. But the worst was how I started feeling pain in the bottom of my foot, from my heel all the way into the arch.

It didn’t matter. I kept pushing, and pushing, and then pushing some more. And the more I pushed, the more water I retained, the more drained I felt, and the more “skinny fat” I looked. 

This went on for a very long time. 

Thankfully, my doctor brought me back to my senses by asking me one simple question.

“You wouldn’t take someone else’s medicine. So why do you follow someone else’s running plan?”

That simple question made everything click. It was absolutely true I was following someone else’s running plan instead of listening to what my body was telling me.

I don’t know where that drive came from. I was never a particularly motivated or disciplined person. 

I guess it’s because I had always been a little heavy all my life. I had found the one thing that ever helped me get in shape, and I was desperately clinging to it. 

That day, I promised myself I’d follow a running plan that was made for ME.

Discovering Joggo

There are hundreds of options for solid running apps online, but I noticed something special about Joggo.

As I was doing my research, I kept reading reviews of the app about the big difference that Joggo wasn’t just providing a well-designed running plan.

It was actually more of an online “running coach.” This means an actual coach reviews your details and updates the plan to match your personal situation, including your fitness level, past experience, available time, and so on. 

Your plan then continues to evolve to meet you where you are. This means it will get slightly easier if you’re finding it tough, and it will become progressively tougher as you get stronger so that you keep feeling challenged.

It comes complete with a meal plan that’s also tailored to your needs, including the amount of time you have to prepare meals, and the types of foods you like. 

So you’re not just eating to lose weight, you’re eating to fuel your body properly, in a way you enjoy, so you can keep up with your runs over the long term without burning yourself out.

That sounded exactly like what I needed, so I gave their introductory assessment questionnaire a try.

They asked me some personal questions, such as my current weight, but I kept on knowing they used this info to develop a plan that matched my needs.

A six-month commitment worked best for me

I decided to commit fully. I signed up for a six-month Joggo plan, and when they offered to include upper body and core exercises, I signed up for that too.

It may sound unimportant, but it really makes a big difference. 

If you think about it, running focuses on your legs only. But it can’t and won’t do much for the other stubborn areas of your body, such as the underarms, the back, and the belly. 

It’s a completely optional add-on that doesn’t need any equipment, and I am very happy I tried it. My prior experience with running was that although I did look thinner, I never looked toned. 

In fact, a thin yet somehow “unfit-looking” body is a pretty common problem for runners. 

For me personally, I only achieved a really fit look once I combined Joggo’s upper body and core workouts with running. 

It’s not something that will ever get you big and bulky the way a gym would, but in my experience, it works great for giving you a leaner figure. 

Six months later

In short, it was all worth it.

The runs, the upper body exercises, even the meal plan all felt significantly easier than anything else I’d tried before.

Of course, I didn’t simply wave a magic wand (don’t we all wish!). 

Joggo only worked because I did. But it worked exactly as they promised.

Progressively getting harder to keep me challenged and ensure I make progress. And flexibly dialing down whenever I felt demotivated or tired. 

Teaching me how to run for longevity and well-being without battering myself. 

It’s basically the exact same experience you’d get if you hired a personal coach. But you get to have the coach with you, in your pocket, whenever you want to, and for a fraction of the cost. 

The app’s interface is lovely and easy to use. Even the support team is awesome. 

Whenever I happened to have a question, they usually replied immediately, and never more than 24 hours later.

And the results? Sometimes I struggle to believe my very own eyes. 

With Joggo, I’ve reached my dream weight of 145lbs, something I’d never been able to reach on my own.

Giving Joggo a go is honestly one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. 

If you want to try it too, just click or tap the big button below. 

You’ll be transferred to their assessment page.

Select “Start Your Journey Now,” answer their easy questions, and they’ll create your running plan without any commitment.

Best of luck on your journey!