should I stop and find something else?

[Tubbyrunner]

Having run on and off for quite a few years, never far or fast, but pretty regularly, I’m now at a cross roads. Injury last year took me out completely for many months. Recent bouts of accident proneness- lots of trips and falls have ( along with my family )suggested I should reconsider. I’ve lost my confidence, feel less steady but I feel this is completely defeatist. I want to be fit, protect myself against old age and poor mobility, but all my accidents, struggles to recover, then re injury is taking its toll. Ido Pilates and gym work to try and get a balance of benefits. Feeling quite depressed at the prospect. Any wise words of wisdom?

[Jancanrunagain Graduate]

a crisis of confidence is one thing a loss of balance and stability quite another. All family and friends want to protect you but may not have the medical background to know whether what they’re saying is right or wrong. This sounds to me well worth talking to your GP / other medical professionals to see if there’s an underlying reason why you shouldn’t recommence.

You could always start by walking C25K as others have done and this will surely complement your gym and Pilates work.

I’m with you on the premise of use it or lose it, but the main thing is to check first that it’s okay to do that….

good luck

[Tubbyrunner in reply to Jancanrunagain]

Thankyou for your reply. Maybe we just have to adapt to getting older and accept to adjust accordingly. I’ll think about a gp visit, but can’t imagine what they could uncover that could be mended!!! Maybe a physio/gait analysis? I think, because I’m no athlete it’ll seem quite petty to the professionals. Strange how little things can affect your whole sense of well-being.

You are right- family, I’m sure have my best interests at heart! Or maybe my husband is getting tired of picking me up!🤣

[Jancanrunagain Graduate in reply to Tubbyrunner]

I had a slight infection in my inner ear once and it was a nightmare my balance and spatial coordination went to pieces.

But easily resolved with meds - alternatively co-opt your husband ad your body guard on your runs once you know you’re ok!

[Tubbyrunner in reply to Jancanrunagain]

Haha! That’s a great idea! I’ll get mr sensible on board! It’ll do him some good too!😊

[Yesletsgo Administrator]

You may be getting older (we all are) but it affects us in different ways.

If you're having more incidents of tripping and falling it's well worth speaking to your doctor. It could be a matter of the medicines you're taking...or need to take (I was put on something that made me very dizzy and when I stopped the dizziness stopped too). It could be a matter of needing physio to strengthen particular muscles. It might be that your footwear isn't helping.

The only way to find out is to get proper medical advice. Just because your age reaches a certain number it doesn't mean that you have to just accept that your fun will be limited.

Good luck and let us know how you get on

[Tubbyrunner in reply to Yesletsgo]

Thankyou! Such great support and positivity from everyone in this forum is really amazing and I appreciate it. I’ll keep you posted. The responses certainly haven’t been along my negative direction. I might need to change my mind set!!

[nowster Graduate]

As others have said, it's not the running that you need to talk to someone about, it's the new-found clumsiness.

There's plenty of stuff you can be doing instead of running. Long walks are great too. The gym will have various activity machines (eg. static bike, treadmill, rowing machines) which you can use to keep your fitness up without fearing falling over your own feet. Swimming is good too.

[Cmoi Graduate]

Falls are not a normal, inevitable part of getting older, and if I'm right you're around my age (64) or younger. So I agree with everyone else - your starting point should be to get the "lots of trips and falls" checked out, whether they were running-related or not.

[CBDB Ambassador]

It sounds like you are doing all the right things, with Pilates and gym work giving you a great strength and mobility and probably also balance-improving workout.

And any fall and stumble can shake our confidence. My balance has never been what it used to be since giving birth into my son 20 years ago, and I still miss the times when it was much better.

But with patience the body can adapt.

So unless there is a medical condition affecting your balance, it sounds like you have taken steps to improve it and you may just need to be a bit patient with your body.

And if you like to run, I’d try to find a way to make sure you can continue running. It might need some adapting, running even slower or on more even paths, at least until your confidence is back. A different pair of shoe might also help with stability, but this might need a trip to a shop that can do a gait analysis and talk you through the options.

I really hope you find a way through this. Running has given me some of my balance back, so I’m hoping you find a way that it can do this for you as well.

Sending you loads of well wishes!

Also, if you haven’t found our Strength & Flexibility forum yet, it is at healthunlocked.com/strength...

[Mollydex Graduate]

I agree if you have changes to your balance you need to be checking yourself out with the medics. I have had a time out of running due to heart issues and am just back , I’ve found that I’ve really had to work on my core to improve my balance. Also none of really know yet what the dreaded Covid virus did /does to us long term , I’d have a trip down to my medical provider I think x

[Rabbit561 Graduate]

I am a similarly ageing and overweight runner. Currently repeating C25k yet again and have been beset by knee. And back niggles over the few years I’ve been a slow runner. The advice to check out your balance issues with your GP sounds sensible. If there’s nothing found then that’s reassuring. You mention seeing a sports physio but doubt they’d see you seriously as you’re not an athlete. I can reassure you there that I’ve been to a sports injury clinic and they were very helpful though I had felt the same about going. So, it would be worth giving it a go. Good luck and keep exercising, whether it’s walking or whatever suits you. Pilates is great too!

[GoogleMe Graduate]

The biggest risk factor for falls is... fear of falling! There's no mention of having been checked out medically and that's definitely the first port of call - medication review, blood pressure etc etc.

My father carried on orienteering in his 80s despite falls (and of course there are plenty of trip hazards!). Competitors are required to carry whistles to summon help. Occasionally he felt a bit fed up. However, he never broke anything - because of course (besides a bit of luck) running is good for bone density.

However, some practical suggestions:

consider your footwear. I had a professionally fitted pair of shoes after gait analysis that in practice made it seriously hard to stay upright (I am not exaggerating here) I find that minimalist running shoes enable me to feel the ground better and reduce the risk.

you could consider running in a group - if not all the time then at least some of the time.

check what kit you have set up - would 'find my phone' be a useful feature.

[Madwife60 Graduate]

I’m with you sister. I’ve always been “clumsy” and a falls risk. This has got worse with age (I’m almost 67) and have had lots of trips and falls over the years. I tripped over a pothole walking back from the shops at Xmas and broke my wrist! I’ve checked it all out with my GP who I’m glad to say can’t find anything organically wrong with me which is good but I still trip up at the slightest hazard.

I have found boots are a real problem so I try to wear my trusty Nikes where I can. My eyesight is poor in the dark so I only run in the daylight rather than dawn or dusk or dark, I always run on the path (tree roots and rabbit holes are a nightmare) and use dropped curbs crossing roads wherever I can. Yoga and strength training has helped a bit or at the very least helped the decline.

hope the GP is reassuring xx

[nowster Graduate in reply to Madwife60]

My worst fall was the edge of a manhole cover about two years ago. I was in shorts. My knees took the bulk of the impact onto the highly abrasive tarmac pavement.

The result was a deep gash which took a few weeks to heal. I still have a scar there.

Normally I'd have been able to correct my balance, but as it was at the start of a planned half marathon distance run I had a backpack full of water on, which changed my centre of gravity significantly.

I wasn't even running at the time!

My point is that having falls is to be expected when you're doing outdoor activities, and everyone will have a tale to tell. If they're happening regularly that's a problem.

[Tubbyrunner]

Madwife60- this could be me entirely! The smallest trip hazard and I’ll find it! Maybe I could be of some use to a risk assessment company! Sensible measures seems to be the way forwards. My last fall was running after dark- maybe that’s a no no from now on! Thankyou for your message!

[Girandola]

You run the half-marathon in your life, didn't you?

[Tubbyrunner]

😆😆 in my dreams!!