You are never too old to start running - either on the street or at the gym on a fitness treadmill. Running helps to slow down the effects of ageing, improves the health, fitness and mobility of older people, and improves psychological health.
Anyone over the age of 50 should get a check-up by a doctor before they begin any program of physical exercise (there are also several other indications of when it is necessary to get an all-clear from a doctor). In older people, the doctor will be particularly checking for heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, to ensure that they can run safely.
Apart from getting a check-up from a doctor, the advice for a new older runner is basically the same as for everyone else. The main priorities are to build up slowly, and set yourself demanding but achievable goals. If you’re going to be running on a treadmill, find or buy the best treadmill you can - it will make a lot of difference.
cut back the mileage, but increase your training quality (there is nothing to stop you from continuing to do fast speed work on the track - this is how Hal Higdon has continued his remarkable performances);
take more rest days between sessions, and avoid overtraining;
increase the variety of your aerobic training, for example by aqua-running, cycling, swimming, and skiing;
warm up carefully before running, and stretch afterwards, to protect muscles, which are less elastic and more prone to injury than they were when you were younger;
increase your weight training, to compensate for the decline in muscle mass that you would otherwise experience.
My running club has members aged from 17 to over 80 years old. Remarkably, because we share a common interest, there are strong friendships across the years. We have formed deep and lasting relationships that enrich all our lives. Running transcends all ages. For young people, it is a gateway to sports of all kinds. It is an affordable, accessible and safe way to embark on a life of healthy exercise.
As we get older, running helps to reduce the impact of age on our fitness, strength, mobility and independence. It can thereby give us many extra years of good quality of life.