You may remember back in May of this year, there was an agebuzz post about new research reporting that long-distance running may slow down the aging process. For those of you who took that to heart and began your career as a “Masters Athlete,” there’s plenty of advice to help understand how your athletic (but aging) body can adjust to the rigors of competitive athletics. A recent post in Runner’s World provides you with everything you need to know about running as you get older, so strap on those running shoes and read here.

But for those of you who still haven’t decided whether running makes sense (recognizing that you need some regular exercise to keep yourself physically and cognitively fit as you get older), there’s still time to start up a routine. In a recent article in The New York Times, Gretchen Reynolds reports on new research out of England that finds that even if one starts running competitively after age 50, as a Masters Athlete you can become as fast and muscled as those who have been running their whole lives. And the findings also contend that older runners have fewer long-term health conditions, take fewer medications and have fewer medical visits in contrast to non-runners in their age cohort. As the Times article makes clear, “masters athletes represent ‘the model of healthy aging.’” Still not sure? Take a look at the advice from competitive Masters Athletes Kathy Bergen (age 80) and Doug Goodhue (age 77), whose stories and tips are likely to propel you onto the track. As Ms. Bergen proclaims, “It’s really exciting to be very good at something-better than most people my age. It’s something that keeps you going.”