Staying Active Can Be a Painful Fountain of Youth
Posted October 2, 2009 8:49 PM
Bob Willette clocks 110 miles each week on his road-racing bike, mostly while he commutes the 26-mile round trip to work.
He also whacks tennis balls with his doubles group. And he pushes himself in a regular hoops game, where "something's always twisted or stubbed. Or bleeding," he said.
The trim North Coventry, Penn., scientist is 53 years old. As with many baby boomers, his physical regimen comes at a price -- upper-back pain, tendinitis, and various aches. At least once a year, he said, his body "breaks down," forcing a doctor visit for a round of anti-inflammatories.
Diagnosis? Boomeritis.
Coined by a local orthopedic surgeon, the informal term describes the swelling number of boomers -- the oldest are 63 this year -- plagued by twinges and pangs and even serious injuries that have not been seen at these levels before.
This is the generation, 78 million strong, intent on staying forever young. Not everyone does Botox. Many in the over-45 crowd stay fit through rigorous exercise that can wear the kids out even as the costs to those seasoned bodies mount.
Sore shoulders, inflamed tendons, arthritic knees.
"People like myself are trying to hold back the clock," said Nicholas DiNubile, 57. The Havertown orthopedic surgeon is credited with first using boomeritis (now trademarked by him) to describe the growing number of middle-age patients with exercise-related ailments. "Baby boomers are the first generation in droves trying to stay active in an aging frame."
An adjunct professor of orthopedics at the University of Pennsylvania and avid tennis player who has issues with his own knee, DiNubile cowrote FrameWork: Your 7-Step Program for Healthy Muscles, Bones, and Joints in 2005, which argues that the body's musculoskeletal frame was designed for only 40 years of pounding activity. Yet over the last century, life expectancy has risen more than 50 percent. The U.S. rate is at a record high of nearly 78 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Evolution hasn't, well, evolved fast enough.
"I believe we've outlived our warranty," said DiNubile, who teaches a course on "Boomeritis -- Care of the Mature Athlete."
Statistics on exercise injuries specifically among boomers are slim. But a look at data on emergency room visits paints a picture of a generation sore and bruised.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission analyzed for The Inquirer its National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data. It estimated that in 2008, ERs treated 282,476 injuries among baby boomers (those ages 44 to 62) who suffered all sorts of sports- and exercise-related misfortune -- a 47 percent increase from a decade earlier.
Source: YellowBrix, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Comments
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Posted October 11, 2009 11:36 PM
I'm one of the older group of boomers & I 've never had such injuries even after 30+ years of gym membership & I can physically do 98% of the things I did as a teen.Why ? because I always listened to my body,wore the right apparel for my activities, & made sure I kept moving daily so that I wouldn't get those weekend warrior injuries that folks get from inactivity during the week & then trying intense weekend workouts. Back in the 70's when aerobics caught on, I read about folks getting bad knees & stress fractures from not wearing the right shoes and not giving their bodies enough rest/recovery time. I decided then that I wasn't going down that road. I do step aerobics 2- 3 times/week & weight training twice/week at home with my weights & at the gym in a powerflex class. I also do powerwalking,pilates & yoga. Whenever the body feels tired , I take time off or do the easiest moves in step class or use lighter weights.Yoga is fantastic because it balances out the body so that both sides are equal, stretches the muscles,increases the joints'range of motion,increases flexibility, & relaxes the mind. I have a short right leg ( about 1/4" shorter than the left ) & wear a lift at all times. However I developed some back pain 2 yrs ago due to the lifts in my gym shoes not being supportive enough & I went to my chiropractor & found I had contracted muscles on the left side of my lower back. He recommended regular yoga practice. I followed that advice & do yoga daily...in the morning when I get up & also before bed. The back pain vanished. I also found out about getting better quality lifts from
clearlyadjustable.com from a gym pal who'd had the same problem.
I think a lot of injuries are caused by our society's problem of going to extremes with everything. I've seen folks push their bodies to the limit despite pain & injury when they really should take a day or more off to rest. It's like they're afraid to rest or think they're being lazy if they take time off.Almost like they have obsessive compulsive disorder centered around exercise. Resting your body lets it heal better & strengthens muscles & tendons so you can workout better .YOUR BODY WILL LAST LONGER without your having to quit doing sports you like because you've overworked & wrecked your knees,back,etc.I know folks who can't do aerobics or bike any more because of permanent damage caused by overuse.To the guy below me: why do another 35 bike miles again tomorrow whan you've got sore knees from doing it today?? What's the point? What are you trying to prove? Who are you trying to impress ? If your knees konk out ,those folks won't care 'cause it's not their problem,Rest your body !!
Posted October 10, 2009 11:41 PM
I believe Jack LaLane chose swimming as his cardio workout because swimming is relatively gentle on the joints. He's still going strong! Myself, i'm sitting here with mildly sore knees after 35 miles on the bike climbing hills today, and tomorrow I'll do it again, God willing.
Posted October 10, 2009 4:45 PM
At 75 I can agree that the body is not what it used to be and sometimes aches and pains seem to be a companion to activity. I use Homeopathy to help me and it does beautifully and without side effects.
Arnica Montana 200C and/or Arnica cream is just great to get rid of sore muscles, sprains and strains.
Very fast and sure. Calendula cream keeps the scrapes and minor sun burns and burns painless and healing. It is antibacterial too.
When I overdo it all and feel hungover whether from booze or just "too much" of anything I will use Nux Vomica 30C; one pill under the tongue and in a few minutes I am feeling better. If I wake at 3 am with an active mind Nux is the remedy as it is for headaches coming up from the back of the neck.
Last but not least is Coffea Cruda 30C which is great to stop the overactive mind. I get wound up sometimes and one pill before bed and to sleep I go. It is also good in the daytime when I have got too many things on the go and can't figure out where to start.
Nice thing is that Homeopathy as well as working well and with no side effects, it is not expensive.
Last thing I can say for sure is a life saver is Bach Rescue Remedy. 5 flowers in one bottle that is good for any emotional shift. People moving, people dying, weddings, exams: you name the problem and Rescue Remedy will just move you from the feelings of doom to the place of hope. Bach believed that the Mind/Spirit split was the cause of all disease or dis-ease and cataloged 38 flowers to deal with all the fears and apprehensions that all of us from time to time are plagued with.
3 drops under the tongue or in a bottle or glass of water and sip all day if need be. It will help you deal with the most horrendous situations. Again it has no side effects and some people use his remedies daily to keep them calm.
Not so bad being old when you have ways to deal that do no harm and work a charm. Try any of the above and enjoy the feeling of taking care of yourself gently.
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