I love Hypha. I love the training but I also love the chats just as much. During a recent training session, I found myself discussing with another masters athlete how our approach to fitness has evolved. Like me — and probably many of us in our 40s and 50s — he'd come from an endurance background – in his case, marathons and triathlons. "I used to think more was always better," he said, "but now I understand that better is better." This resonated deeply with my own journey from ultra-running to discovering a more sustainable approach to fitness.
The Challenge
Many masters athletes come from backgrounds in endurance sports or single-discipline training. My journey was Rugby, Triathlons, Ultra-running, Mountain biking, and then CrossFit (starting in my mid 40s). We've pushed our bodies hard, often wearing the resulting fatigue as a badge of honour. The real challenge isn't just acknowledging that this approach might not serve us well as we age – it's understanding why a more balanced approach to fitness becomes crucial for longevity.
The Science Behind Sustainable Fitness
Recent research provides fascinating insights about fitness adaptation as we age:
Studies in Sports Medicine show that masters athletes who diversify their training maintain better muscle mass and bone density than single-sport endurance athletes
Numerous research studies now demonstrates that balanced training programs lead to better hormonal profiles in athletes over 40
Longitudinal studies indicate that combining strength training with conditioning helps prevent the muscle loss typically associated with endurance-only training.
How to Approach Sustainable Training
It sounds kind of obvious but it’s taken me a while to get here myself. Drawing from both research and experience:
Balance intensity with recovery
Combine strength work with conditioning
Focus on movement quality over volume
Prioritise consistency over heroic efforts.
When discussing this with fellow masters athletes at Hypha, a common theme emerges: "The goal isn't to train harder – it's to train smarter." But for some reason it takes a longer time to realise this that you’d imagine.
It feels weird to say this at 51 years old… but my biggest learning in 2024 has been listening to my body and either not training (giving myself an extra day of recovery) or, scaling more than you’d imagine to get the body moving but in a way that allows it to continue to recover. And without a doubt, 2024 has been the best year for my body.
Take-Home Actions
Assess your current training balance
Incorporate regular strength work
Monitor recovery between sessions
Focus on movement quality before intensity
Impact on Performance and Health
What's fascinating is seeing how this balanced approach affects overall wellbeing. Fellow masters athletes report better energy levels, improved body composition and control, and fewer overuse injuries. The research backs this up – studies show that masters athletes who adopt a balanced training approach maintain better functional capacity as they age.
A Masters Athlete's Perspective
Through my own transition from ultra-running to functional fitness, I've learned that sustainable training isn't about doing less – it's about doing better. The research is clear: as we age, our bodies respond better to varied stimulus than to single-mode endurance work.
Remember, the goal isn't to compete with our younger selves or to train like elite athletes. It's about building and maintaining fitness that enhances our lives rather than depletes them. Whether you're transitioning from endurance sports or looking to maintain fitness through your 40s, 50s, and beyond, the key is finding an approach that's both challenging — physically and mentally — and sustainable.
This isn't about stepping back from fitness – it's about stepping into a smarter approach that serves us better as we age. As both research and experience show, when we balance our training appropriately, we don't just maintain fitness – we often discover new levels of capability we didn't know we had.
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