T<\/span>oday we are bombarded with images of ‘forever young’ celebrities and reports that tell us we are living longer, more active lives than at any time throughout history.<\/p>\n The single leading cause of disability worldwide is back pain. Whether lower back pain, mid-back pain, or upper back pain, experts estimate that up to 80% of us will experience problems with our backs at some point in our lives1.<\/p>\n Falling victim to a back-related issue can have a devastating impact on life, whatever age we are. However, as we mature, the drawbacks to becoming immobile become even more profound. Recovery takes longer, and the chances of making a full recovery diminish. Injuries can prevent us from leading the full, independent lives we desire.<\/p>\n So what can we do to prevent our current lifestyles and exercise regimes from causing us problems later on in life?<\/p>\n Unfortunately, there isn’t a “one size fits all” answer.<\/p>\n This is because causes of back pain are often complex and hard to define: Our backs are a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles, and back health can be affected by a range of lifestyle and biological factors.<\/p>\n However, in my experience, back pain often happens due to poor postures and movements and overload – especially in exercise.<\/p>\n Putting it simply, it’s from doing too much exercise in the wrong way.<\/p>\n With obesity and sedentary lifestyles increasing, it feels almost counterintuitive to advise people to watch how they go when it comes to staying active.<\/p>\n Yet as we move into middle age and beyond, it does make sense to adjust your regimes based on your specific circumstances.<\/p>\n The good news is that making some minor amendments to the way we choose to keep fit today could help see us staying fitter for longer.<\/p>\n Here are my five top tips for exercising safely once you’re beyond your 40s.<\/p>\n Our ability to build strength and endurance does decrease over time – but not as much as you would think.<\/p>\n What does change significantly as we age is our ability to recover.<\/p>\n I rarely see people at my practice because they have done ‘too little.” In fact, being more selective about the type of exercise you do and doing it moderately is likely to be far more effective in the long run.<\/p>\n After participating in high-impact exercise or heavy lifting, ensure that you leave a day or two in between sessions for adequate rest and recovery.<\/p>\n When we’re in our younger years, we tend to focus on developing the “show” muscles: Biceps, pecs, calves, etc.<\/p>\n However, in time, this can have the effect of overloading a single joint or muscle group, leading to injury.<\/p>\n Focusing on more functional exercises (e.g., squats) is more beneficial as they disperse the load amongst multiple joints and translate to some of the sports and activities we perform daily.<\/p>\n If you are keen to pursue high-impact sports for as long as possible, you must exercise to build a strong, physical foundation. Going straight from the office to the tennis court when you’re in your 20s might be par for the course; however, it’s likely to result in strained muscles, tendonitis, and even disc injuries in middle age.<\/p>\n This is why taking a measured, sustainable attitude to exercise is essential as we get older.<\/p>\n As the saying goes, “if you don’t use it, then prepare to lose it” so build durability by performing exercises that address all of the major muscle groups in a dynamic way. This may include lunges or hinges and take extra care to build the mobility you need for your chosen activity. So, if you like to play tennis, focus on shoulder mobility.<\/p>\n Your exercise regime should help you participate in sports for longer and keep you playing more often. It should complement the recreational sporting activities and lifestyle you choose, not take you away from them.<\/p>\n Walking is not only good for back pain, but it also has benefits to various biological systems. Posture plays a vital role in spine health, particularly if you have a history of back pain and sit for long periods.<\/p>\n Take multiple walks a day to ensure that you are not stuck in a single posture for too long – especially if you sit at a desk for your job.<\/p>\n Walking is non-negotiable to maintain a healthy back and body.<\/p>\n Even if you’re active, there’s no getting away from the fact that your physical ability will become limited at some point.<\/p>\n It happens to us all.<\/p>\n However, with the right advice, support, and team in place, you will stand the best chance of avoiding the type of unnecessary long-term injuries that can stop you in your tracks.<\/p>\n So, who should you have on your team?<\/p>\n Look for a good primary care doctor, physical therapist, trainer, and manual therapist. Their knowledge and expertise will combine so that you can be sure you follow an exercise regime that will keep you fit – rather than from the life you love!<\/p>\n Tips from a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11773,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[144,145],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fall-2021","category-fall-2021-columns"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11690"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11966,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11690\/revisions\/11966"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Common Cause<\/h3>\n
Go easy<\/h3>\n
1. Focus on recovery just as much as exercise.<\/h4>\n
2. Choose Movements Over Muscles<\/h4>\n
3. Build Durability, Not Brute Strength<\/h4>\n
4. Take Daily Walks<\/h4>\n
5. Build Your Healthcare “Team”<\/h4>\n
Dr. Marc Luko is the founder of Optimal Performance & Reconditioning<\/a>, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Studies and a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Boston University, is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) recognized by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and is designated as a McGill Method Master Clinician through Backfitpro.<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"