# Senior Fitness - Safety First!



## SeaBreeze (Jun 18, 2016)

Full article here. 








Physical alterations that occur with aging can affect recovery times and increase injury risk. For example, tendons, which attach muscle to bone, become more brittle with age, says David Geier, MD, orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in the Charleston, South Carolina, area. This may be due at least in part to the fact that tendons lose water over time, making them stiffer and less tolerant of stress. (Smoking has also been shown to damage tendons.)

“Tendons become less resistant to sudden changes, so you’re more likely to take longer to recover,” says Geier. “And many people often find themselves with nagging tendonitis,” or inflammation of the tendon.

Pushing through tendonitis can result in the tendon breaking or rupturing, which can lead to permanent disability if not repaired. Geier cites the case of a 51-year old patient who needed surgery for a torn Achilles tendon after he began doing sprints.

Bones can also weaken with age. Osteoporosis, a loss of bone mass, isn’t just a women’s problem; Geier says it can happen to men as well.

Weight-bearing exercises help to build and maintain bone density. Examples of high-impact exercise include dancing, jumping rope, climbing stairs and tennis, as well as hiking, jogging and running. Low-impact activities include elliptical training, using stair-stepping machines and fast walking.

If you’ve broken a bone due to osteoporosis, you may need to stick with low-impact exercise; check with your practitioner first. “Impact is not usually harmful if you don’t have osteoporosis,” says Geier. “Running has been shown to actually help cartilage strength. Stop if you feel any discomfort or pain.”

Aging muscles start to shrink as well. Called sarcopenia, this condition is characterized by 3% to 8% reduction of muscle mass each decade after the age of 30. This muscle loss results in less strength and affects the ability to perform activities of daily living, making it a risk factor for a disability later in life.

Fortunately, this loss of muscle is not inevitable if you keep active; strength training can help. “Exercise later in life is even more important than when we were young,” says Michele Olson, PhD, professor of exercise science at Auburn University. “Growth hormone increases after vigorous workouts, so use these workouts as a way to raise your anabolic, aging-reducing hormones.”

Sarcopenia before age 70 is primarily due to being inactive, says Olson. “Research shows that strength gains are the same for people as old as 80 participating in regular strength training sessions. It’s never too late to start.” Walking quickly, water aerobics, riding a bike on mostly level ground, playing doubles tennis or pushing a lawn mower all qualify. Vigorous activities include jogging or running, swimming laps, riding a bike fast or up hills, playing singles tennis or playing basketball.

If you’ve not done much of anything for a while, get started by walking outdoors, suggests Tim Ramirez, DC, founder of Pacifica Wellness in Costa Mesa, California. “It’s not only non-impact, but it engages you, keeps you in the moment and connects you with nature,” he says. “If you’ve been out of shape for 10 years, though, you need to start slowly.”


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## Bobw235 (Jun 18, 2016)

Good stuff, thanks for sharing this.  I know I'm being very careful at the gym, trying not to overdo it.  Last thing I need is an injury.  Ironically, after my wife had her surgery last September to fix her L4-L5 vertebrae, she started going to the gym with me in January.  Now we think that the increased activity may have caused hip bursitis.  She's miserable.  Now back to the doctor and an upcoming MRI.


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## SeaBreeze (Jun 18, 2016)

Sorry to hear about your wife having hip problems after exercising at the gym, poor gal.   Hope quitting the gym helps.


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## Bobw235 (Jun 18, 2016)

SeaBreeze said:


> Sorry to hear about your wife having hip problems after exercising at the gym, poor gal.   Hope quitting the gym helps.


She's frustrated and I don't blame her.  After two years of leg pain, she thought it was behind her after the surgery last Sept.  Things were looking good.  Subject to confirmation by the doctor, we suspect the increased activity starting in January may have caused this problem.  She's feeling guilty about not being able to travel, feeling like she's holding us back.  Of course I've reassured her that nothing could be further from the truth.  Still, even though we stayed home on this beautiful day, she still did exercises that didn't involve her hip, lifting weights on an exercise ball in the living room while watching TV.


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## SeaBreeze (Jun 18, 2016)

She sound like a sweetheart, thinking of you like that, you're a lucky man!  Hugs to the Mrs., hope things turn out okay for her. :sentimental:  I give her credit too for exercising at home, she has the right attitude!


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## fureverywhere (Jun 18, 2016)

I'm sorry about your wife Bob, hope she's on the mend soon. We do have to be careful as we get older. I was just chiding myself yesterday that I don't run like I used to. But from what I understand long distance walking is just as healthy and so much less stressful. Our knees and ankles definitely get more fragile, I'll stick to walking.


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## Bobw235 (Jun 18, 2016)

Thanks SB and Fur.  You're very kind.  I just keep reassuring her that this too shall pass, but I know she's frustrated.  Sucks to hurt when you want to be active.


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## WhatInThe (Jun 28, 2016)

Don't use it you will lose it, that simple.


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## Don M. (Jun 28, 2016)

WhatInThe said:


> Don't use it you will lose it, that simple.



That's true.  A person cannot adopt a sedentary lifestyle for any length of time, without having substantial impact on their overall well being.  Then, if they begin an exercise program that tries to do Too Much, Too Soon, they can wind up hurting themselves.


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## Phoenix (Jun 28, 2016)

If I break my whatchit in the process, can it be fixed?


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## Bobw235 (Jun 29, 2016)

We spent a few hours at the doctor's office yesterday following my wife's MRI last week.  Her original surgeon said that her spine seems fine, but then sent her to a physiatrist in the same practice, who diagnosed her with something referred to as "dead butt syndrome."  Age and a relatively low level of activity prior to my wife's surgery last year, coupled with being newly active in the beginning of the year have all conspired to create this condition, which results in pain in he hip joint and down the leg.  Gluteus medius tendinosis — an inflammation of the tendons in the gluteus medius, one of three large muscles that make up the butt.  She's now looking at PT and will have to do exercises for this area on an ongoing basis.  At least we now know the problem.  She received three "trigger point" injections yesterday to help to begin to break up the muscle contractions in that area.  She's going to be sore for a few days.


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## Phoenix (Jun 29, 2016)

Thanks for the information.  It gives me more motivation to continue exercising.


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## Bobw235 (Jun 29, 2016)

Phoenix said:


> Thanks for the information.  It gives me more motivation to continue exercising.



Glad it is helpful.  My wife has been really discouraged, but is glad that this can be corrected with PT and regular exercises, along with massage.  She's glad that there's no surgery needed.


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## Phoenix (Jun 29, 2016)

Bobw235 said:


> Glad it is helpful.  My wife has been really discouraged, but is glad that this can be corrected with PT and regular exercises, along with massage.  She's glad that there's no surgery needed.



It can be really scary, I know.  Sitting in the waiting room while my husband was in surgery for 7 hours was excruciating.  I'm so glad she doesn't need surgery.  How long have you been married?


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## Bobw235 (Jun 29, 2016)

Phoenix said:


> It can be really scary, I know.  Sitting in the waiting room while my husband was in surgery for 7 hours was excruciating.  I'm so glad she doesn't need surgery.  How long have you been married?



Coming up on 39 years.  When she got out of spine surgery last Sept., which lasted about 3.5 hours (longer than the Dr. had estimated), I could not believe the wave of emotion that came over me.


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## Phoenix (Jun 29, 2016)

Bobw235 said:


> Coming up on 39 years.  When she got out of spine surgery last Sept., which lasted about 3.5 hours (longer than the Dr. had estimated), I could not believe the wave of emotion that came over me.



39 years is a long time.  Lots of being together and all at once it's right there, that the person could be gone, instantly.  I know exactly how that feels.  I saw the abyss - the one that separates us from the land of the living and whatever is beyond.  It was mind boggling.  After the fact, I decided to incorporate the emotions into the book I was writing at the time.


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## Debby (Jul 17, 2016)

fureverywhere said:


> I'm sorry about your wife Bob, hope she's on the mend soon. We do have to be careful as we get older. I was just chiding myself yesterday that I don't run like I used to. But from what I understand long distance walking is just as healthy and so much less stressful. Our knees and ankles definitely get more fragile, I'll stick to walking.




So you were a runner were you?  I tried it on a number of occasions but I just couldn't stand doing it.  Even when I gave it a few weeks at a time, consistently, just couldn't get into the groove at all.  My husband and I walk, usually about 3.5 kilometres a day and at a pretty good clip.


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