An “aging athlete” refers to the 40-60 year old who has either continued or recently adopted exercise and sport participation into adulthood. Aging results in several changes in our bodies that predispose the aging athlete to chronic and overuse injuries. Some of these are:

• Loss of muscle mass
• Decreased bone mass
• Loss of elasticity of the tendons and ligaments resulting in an increased risk of tears

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common complaint in the aging athlete population. Studies have shown that exercise can reduce pain in individuals suffering from OA. Research shows that regular exercise can slow down and even reverse many of the physical consequences of aging.

There are ways to help the aging athlete prevent injury:

• Modify your sport regularly to allow your body to rest from the same continuous wear and tear pattern
• Maintain flexibility in your muscles and joints, which is important in preventing muscle and other soft tissue tears
• Continue to strengthen and condition your muscles. This enables your body to better absorb repetitive impact.

At Westwood Physical Therapy our goal is to keep you active and healthy for years to come.

Discuss your exercise goals with us. We can help prescribe an appropriate training program tailored to your goals, analyze your movement patterns to correct flawed form, and thereby prevent injury.