Running for Life: The Pose Method® Approach for Senior Runners

At a certain point in life, change stops being optional. The body demands it. After years of sitting, the results are predictable – stiff joints, weakened muscles, and the uncomfortable realization that your body no longer moves as freely as it once did.

Many people decide to get active again and choose running as their way back to health. After all, running seems simple: just put one foot in front of the other. But that illusion of simplicity traps countless beginners.

They start running, feel pain or tightness, and quickly conclude, running isn’t for people my age. That’s not true. The problem isn’t age – it’s how you move.

The Value of Staying Active

Running isn’t the only way to stay active. Some people prefer swimming or cycling, and that’s perfectly fine. The form of movement is secondary to how you perform it. What matters most is moving correctly and avoiding unnecessary strain.

An active lifestyle filled with injuries defeats its own purpose. Whether you run, swim, or ride a bike, proper movement technique protects your body and allows you to enjoy physical activity for decades.

The Pose Method® provides a structured way to learn movement as a skill. Its principles apply broadly, but running is where this approach has been studied and proven most clearly. Among all known running techniques, Pose Method of Running remains the only one with scientific evidence demonstrating dramatically reduced impact on the knees and significant reduction in symptoms of chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS). In simple terms, it is a tested and effective approach to injury prevention.

Step 1: The Mind Comes First

Every meaningful change begins with a decision. Before the body moves, the mind must open to the idea of learning something new.

Think of it this way: you’ve already learned countless skills throughout your life. Learning to run correctly is simply another one – different, but no more difficult. It’s a chance to rebuild confidence in your body and rediscover how capable you truly are.

You don’t have to be perfect or athletic; you only need curiosity and consistency. The pleasure will come as you feel progress, step by step.

Approach this process with patience and interest rather than pressure. Improvement follows naturally when you give your body clear direction and time to adapt.

Step 2: Develop Perception

Perception is your ability to sense movement – timing, rhythm, and position – in space and time. It connects what you think with what you do and defines how you interact with gravity in motion.

Proprioception and perception work together but are not the same. Proprioception relates to the body – its sense of position, tension, and motion. Perception relates to the world – how you orient yourself within the surrounding environment with the assistance of all your senses. One accompanies the other. Our perception of the world influences our sense of the body, but the body’s proprioceptive feedback does not necessarily determine how we perceive the world.

When you run, perception allows you to register the relationship between your body, gravity, and movement through space. The more precisely you perceive these relationships, the more efficient your motion becomes.

Learning to perceive the Running Pose, Fall, the Pull, and the change of support refines your neuromuscular patterns and eliminates unnecessary effort. The development of perception is what transforms running from mechanical repetition into a skilled movement.

Step 3: Rebuild Coordination

The first physical challenge is coordination, not strength. Most adults limit their movement over time to simple routines. The body forgets how to move efficiently through space. Even turning your head while reversing the car or rotating your torso can feel awkward.

Running requires rhythm and precise coordination. Retraining these patterns starts with small, intentional movements.

Focus on:

• Balance and light mobility work.
• Short drills that restore natural timing between body segments.
• Reconnecting the brain and muscles through repetition and precision.

Coordination lays the foundation for every step that follows.

Step 4: Find Balance and Work with Gravity

The cornerstone of proper running is balance. In the Pose Method®, this means keeping your body weight over the ball of the foot in the Running Pose. From this position, your body naturally begins to fall forward – a controlled fall powered by gravity, not by muscular effort. Gravity is the primary force; your role is to use it, not fight it.

Practice:

• Standing in the readiness position and shifting your weight to the balls of your feet.
• Practicing what is called Wall-falls in the Pose Method®, where you can safely experience the feeling of falling forward.
• Maintaining the running pose alignment (change support in place).

Balance is not a static state; it’s dynamic and responsive. Learning to perceive it is learning the language of movement.

Step 5: Learn the Pull

Once you understand the Fall, the next step is the Pull – lifting your foot from the ground as you fall forward. This is not a push back, not a kick or a swing backwards; it’s a light, quick lift of your foot upward to about knee level, essentially replacing one point of support (one foot) with another (foot).

If you’ve spent years walking heavily or pushing off the ground, this action may feel unfamiliar. But it can be retrained with simple exercises and short running sessions that emphasize timing and hamstring work.

Focus on:

• Pulling the foot up (not too high) under the hips.
• Staying compact and aligned during change of support.

Step 6: Build Strength the Smart Way

After learning the essential – the Fall and the Pull – begin developing the strength to support them. Gravity doesn’t care about your age – it simply demands that your body respond efficiently to its demands.

Build strength through correct movement, not force.

Prioritize:

• Body-weight training that supports your whole body.
• Gradual increase in running time and distance while maintaining proper technique.
• Developing elasticity and spring-like responsiveness rather than muscular tension.

Strength built this way supports efficiency, prevents injury, and allows for longevity in movement.

The Journey Ahead

The Pose Method® offers a systematic, evidence-based path to mastering running technique at any age. It’s not about distance or speed – it’s about precision and control.

To summarize:

• Begin with the mind and willingness to learn.
• Develop perception of movement and rhythm.
• Rebuild coordination and balance.
• Work with gravity instead of against it.
• Learn to pull, not push.
• Build strength through correct movement.

Your physical limits may exist, but your ability to develop skill does not. Running, when done correctly, becomes a tool for longevity, not wear and tear. It reconnects you with your body and restores your relationship with movement itself.

So don’t hesitate. Learn to run the right way. The reward is far greater than fitness – it’s freedom.