Low to moderate exercise helps reduce the onset of arthritis, OP and spinal problems eg. vertebral disc flattening/prolapsing, nerve impingement. Exercise at high instensity can accelerate this.
At what point do we draw the compromise regarding exercise intensity and age to maintain skeletal health to its optimum, weight training, running or any other activities contributing as factors?
Interesting
This cross-point is highly individual. There is no test for this but there are some recomendations, but again this is true for general public. Who you are dealing with, age, sex, previous experience?
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At what point do we draw the compromise regarding exercise intensity and age to maintain skeletal health to its optimum, weight training, running or any other activities contributing as factors?
This is a great question Richard.
As duxx alluded to earlier the level of exercise will be purely individualized. As we all know when we are young, teens through mid-late 20’s our bodies are pretty new with great hormone levels and recovery abilities. As we age muscles and joints stiffen. The degeneration that was started earlier in our careers is now come to the surface. Not many young athletes start off their respect sports thinking how they will feel twenty years later.
As coaches, it’s our responsibility to decrease the number of injuries occured in sport by preparing our athletes to an optimal level. Also teaching our athletes how to be proactive in their approach to injury prevention when they leave us.
How many athletes get hurt in training?
Too many.
By avoiding the high-flying circus act plyo’s is a good start. Another is, for example, overuse injuries in the weight room that spill over to the athletic field. Big athletes training like little athletes.
As we age, mid 30’s and above, the damage is done. The key here with any sort of training is, don’t make things worse. The degeneration is going to occur, it can’t be avoided. But you can slow it down a little. By age 40 I hope you’ve developed the maturity and knowledge to realize you shouldn’t be performing depth jumps or playing rough touch football with 20 y.o.s. Although I’ve seen many “older folk” on the ski slopes.
To sum up my answer, Richard, use common sense and maturity, hopefully the athlete has developed a proactive, injury prevention approach to his/her training, know your history of injuries and pray you have good genetics.
But, like all former athletes, we think we can still play. And when the pick-up basketball game starts at the family reunion, everybody is 17 again.
Until the achilles ruptures.
[QUOTE=Thomas]This is a great question Richard.
As duxx alluded to earlier the level of exercise will be purely individualized. QUOTE]
For guys like me (50+), this is a never-ending question. How much rest, how much intensity, how much volume, etc. And it’s very individualistic.
I think the CF approach works well, alternating more intense work days with recovery days. I’ve stayed relatively healthy and run relatively well for years with this approach. My uncertainty is around weight training and plyos. I haven’t figured out the best approach there. I do both because my inherent strength levels have never been very good. If anything, I’m looking to boost this type of work, though I’m concerned about some of the issues Richard cited – arthritis, injury, etc. Absolutely a live and learn situation. I try to stick with heavier lifts and fewer reps and sets, but I know some others in my age category who focus on moving lighter weights faster and doing a few more reps. I’m not sure about what works best. I like plyos and if I keep the number of contacts reasonable (about 40-50 per session) they are helpful. Can’t say what the impact will be in the long term (I’ll let you know in 20 years), but so far so good (though I have to say I have my share of aches and pains).
It will be interesting to hear other thoughts on this, particularly from others on this forum who have been at this for a while.
speez, nearing 41 this year, the first few steps in the morning sound like someone squeezing a handful of blister packing material.
Absolutly having a periodized training system is a must! CF’s works great with alternating low and high intensity days. Often times taking 2 or 3 low days before another high intensity day.
I’m just the opposite are far as strength goes. Naturally strong but have horrible recuprative abilities. Always had, even in high school. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized it. But like you, now I stick with a low set, high weight program and it works well.
As far as plyos go, jumping rope is about it. The knees can’t take anything else. Unless I get down to about 260.