Last Updated Nov 2011
Who hasn’t heard of the phrase, “It stinks getting old?” Unfortunately, it is also part of life. For many of us, that means dealing with daily aches and pains that we didn’t have to deal with when we were in our twenties. How do you minimize age related aches and pains while staying active at the same time?
Knowing what to expect and taking steps to counterbalance the effects of aging can help you maintain a young spirit and an independent life. A healthy diet, regular exercise program, and positive attitude can help delay the onset and slow the progression of many age-related changes.
Let’s first review some of the effects of the aging process on the musculoskeletal system:
Aging Muscles:
- As muscles age, they begin to shrink and lose mass. This is a natural process, but a sedentary lifestyle can accelerate it.
- The number and size of muscle fibers also decrease. Thus, it takes muscles longer to respond in our 50s than they did in our 20s.
- The water content of tendons, the cord-like tissues that attach muscles to bones, decreases as we age. This makes the tissues stiffer and less able to tolerate stress.
- Handgrip strength decreases, making it more difficult to accomplish routine activities such as opening a jar or turning a key.
- The heart muscle becomes less able to propel large quantities of blood quickly to the body. We tire more quickly and take longer to recover.
Aging Bones
Throughout life, bones constantly change through a process of absorption and formation called "remodeling." As we age, the balance between bone absorption and bone formation changes, resulting in a loss of bone tissue.
- The mineral content of bones decreases, so that bones become less dense and more fragile.
- As bones lose mass, osteoporosis develops, affecting both women and men. In the spine, osteoporosis can lead to crush fractures of the vertebrae, resulting in a "dowager's hump." Osteoporosis is also responsible for almost all hip fractures in older men and women.
- The chemistry of cartilage, which provides cushioning between bones, changes. With less water content, the cartilage becomes more susceptible to stress. As cartilage degenerates, arthritis can develop.
- Ligaments, connective tissues between bones, become less elastic, reducing flexibility.
Aging Joints
- Joint motion becomes more restricted and flexibility decreases with age because of changes in tendons and ligaments.
- As the cushioning cartilage begins to break down from a lifetime of use, joints become inflamed and arthritic. Top of page
The Solution to Slowing the Aging Process: Exercise
Many of the changes in our musculoskeletal system result more from disuse than from simple aging. Fewer than 10 percent of Americans participate in regular exercise, and the most sedentary group is older than 50 years of age.
Stretching is an excellent way to help maintain joint flexibility. Weight training can increase muscle mass and strength, enabling people to continue their daily routine activities without maximal exertion. Even moderate amounts of physical activity can reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, and some forms of cancer.
Long-term regular exercises may slow the loss of muscle mass and prevent age-associated increases in body fat. Exercise also helps maintain the body's response time, as well as its ability to deliver and use oxygen efficiently. Just 30 minutes of moderate activity, incorporated into your daily routine, can provide health benefits.
An exercise program doesn't have to be strenuous to be effective. Walking, square dancing, swimming, and bicycling are all recommended activities for maintaining fitness as we age.
The 30 minutes of moderate activity can be broken up into shorter periods. For example, you might spend 15 minutes working in the garden in the morning and 15 minutes walking in the afternoon.
It all adds up.
What we find is many people don’t know where to start or aren’t self-motivated enough to get started on an exercise program. They also want to learn what exercises to do, and be able to do them the right way. That is why it is important for you to consider working with trained fitness professionals or physical therapists when getting started on an exercise program.
These professionals will help you to succeed in slowing the effects of aging while remaining injury free.
Our mission is to provide Intelligent Fitness for Your Lifestyle. That means we want to learn about your physical health concerns, learn about what you want to be able to do activity wise in your life, and then design exercise programs that are customized for you. We will also provide the expert instruction you need to be sure you will get the most benefit out of your exercise routine.
About the Author: Steve Messineo holds a doctorate in physical therapy and owns two businesses in Shrewsbury, MA; All-Access Physical Therapy and the All-Access Fitness Academy. Both businesses were created with the idea that there is a need for people transitioning from physical therapy care to long term health and wellness programs, to get the guidance and instruction they need in order to be successful doing so, and to meet their fitness goals.
Click here for more articles by and information on Steve Messineo, Executive Director, All-Access Physical Therapy, Inc.