Long gone are the days of hitting your forties, settling down and taking it easy until retirement. As more of us live well into our late seventies and eighties, the prospect of staying physically active for longer is a very real one. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see forty year olds running marathons, going on expeditions or even playing sports at a competitive level.
But being able to stay active longer means special attention should be paid to common sporting injuries. And the best time to prepare for a sporting injury is long before you get one!
Science shows that after the age of forty the body’s repair mechanisms are less efficient. Your healing ability is reduced and recovery simply isn’t what it used to be. So here are a few tips to stay healthy well into your 40’s and 50’s.
Common sporting injuries
Living an active lifestyle means dealing with injuries. But when an injury does occur the best outcome has minimal impact on the body with no lasting damage. The bottom line is the better shape you’re in, the better your body is able to withstand injury and the more quickly you will recover.
Injuries commonly seen in adults over 40 include:
- Joint sprains or ligament tears
- Stress fractures (also known as repetitive use fractures)
- Lower back pain
- Rotator cuff tears
Preventing sporting injuries
To help prevent sporting injuries consider using some of the techniques below to help you build and maintain your fitness level.
1. Weight training
As professional athletes know only too well, aging affects performance. By the fifth decade of life the loss of muscle tissue begins to add up. Some studies suggest that past the age of 30, adults will lose 3-8% of their muscle mass every decade. Regular weight training is one of the few activities that actively combats this effect. Weight training develops muscle strength by targeting specific muscle groups.
2. Ease into activities
Most of us are guilty of being weekend warriors or starting a new activity and pushing ourselves too hard and too fast. When taking up a new sport or activity ease yourself into it. If you’re thinking about running a marathon, playing a round of golf or perhaps entering a tournament, don’t bulldoze your way into the activity. Instead, build up endurance by gradually increasing the frequency and intensity over time.
3. Keep moving
Sedentary behaviour is not your friend. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. That can be any physical activity, even if it’s just walking. Walking is one of the most basic and simple exercises available to us all. It’s free, doesn’t require any equipment and keeps the body limber and mobile. For those of us with a 9-5 office job where the majority of time is spent sitting at a desk, it’s even more important to keep active. The point is to keep the body moving.
4. Strength training
Different from weight training, strength training is a type of exercise that uses muscle resistance to build strength, endurance, and increases the size of skeletal muscles. Lifting weights or using resistance bands are just a few examples of strength training activities. Additionally, strength training doesn’t have to be done at the gym. Many exercises can be done in the privacy and comfort of your own home.
5. Diet matters
At this stage in life, now more than ever, what you eat matters. As we age our bodies require higher amounts of key nutrients. Be a little bit more vigilant about getting enough protein, calcium and vitamin D in your diet. Protein helps to build and repair tissue while calcium and vitamin D aid bone strength.
6. If you develop an injury see a sports doctor early on
Many injuries can be taken care of at home with rest, elevation and over the counter medications (e.g. Tylenol, Ibuprofen). But there are times when you may need to seek medical advice. Do so if any of the following applies to you:
- An injury that hasn’t gotten better after a couple of weeks
- An injury whose pain has gotten worse over time
- An injury that’s impacting your ability to carry out your normal day to day activities
Use some of the tips above to stay fit, stay active and to help prevent sporting injuries. For those moments when you do need medical assistance be sure to contact your doctor as soon as possible.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3276215/
https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/22/health/aches-and-pains-body-maintenance-a-mature-guide.html
What’s Next?
Schedule your free consultation to evaluate your individual circumstances. During this call you’ll speak directly with Dr. Jow, our sports medicine physician. While we can’t give out specific advice until you become a patient, we can discuss your issue and determine if Avid is the best fit for you. If an in-person visit is recommended, we will schedule it right away.