TREATING THE BOOMER LIFESTYLE
A personal perspective on the aging athlete

By Herschel Budlow, R.P.T.  – Athlete/Therapist/Patient

At 68 years’ young, I am older than the average baby boomer.

I am certainly a senior citizen who has never wanted to decrease my activity level as I have progressed from my 40s to the late 60s. Having exercised in a variety of activities for 50 years – continuously, I have personally experienced some of the overuse, or repetitive stress injuries often seen in the boomer age group.

However, as a physical therapist, I have enjoyed the advantage of being able to recognize a problem before the symptoms and effects become chronic Seeking professional help when needed and/or using appropriate self-treatment measures, I have been able to avoid prolonged “lay-offs” from my favorite activities.

I have treated many professional and highly skilled amateur athletes over my 45 years of practice. All are similar in their dedication and focus upon consistent vigorous conditioning and frequent practice of their particular athletic skills.  Even at the highest levels of their sports, injuries and overuse syndromes occur.

Obviously, in our senior years, these problems are more frequent and require more time to resolve.  In the boomer generation, when people will not admit to physical limitations or restrictions, these conditions are especially prevalent because of the inevitable changes in musculoskeletal structures.  Despite the inevitable physiological effects, many of the so-called boomeritis problems are preventable and/or efficiently managed if diagnosed and treated early.

Some of the more common injuries seen in the 50 to 60+ exerciser/athlete include: Degenerative osteoarthritis of the weight-bearing joints, including the spine; Shoulder tendinitis/bursitis/impingement, and sprains/strains of the various musculoskeletal structures.

Some of these are single-episode injuries and others are classic overuse syndromes. Proper diagnosis is paramount in effective treatment and rehabilitation so that the patient can return to their active lifestyle. Here at Dr. Kanner’s practice, the therapy staff utilizes the “active rest” sports medicine approach by insuring the patient is kept as fit as possible while providing the appropriate therapy required. We have the skills, knowledge and equipment to return the boomer athlete to their desired activity level. The patients are taught an individually-designed exercise program suited to their degree of conditioning. They can then build a base of endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility.  In this approach, the individual can prevent and avoid recurrences of future injuries while still maintaining a highly active and satisfying lifestyle.

The boomer athletes are a demanding group. They do want to “work out” intensely at the level they enjoyed in their youth. Often this goal conflicts with the realities of their body changes as they age. The old term of “weekend warrior” – intense physical activity for 1 or 2 days- has been supplanted by the boomer athlete who exercises 5 – 6 days a week. This generation is more aware of the beneficial health effects of long term exercise and they do not want to accept the changes and limitations associated with aging. Consequently, overuse syndromes occur in greater frequency due to the inevitable anatomic and cellular changes.

What do you do? Do you hang up your tennis shoes, hang up your skis, and sell your bicycles? Of course not!! What you do is modify your exercises and activities to adjust to the age-related changes in one’s musculoskeletal structures, slowing of the reflexes, and tissue tolerance. Research has shown that people who remain physically active have a healthier cardiovascular status. There are also clear psychological benefits – stress reduction, mood elevation, improved social relationships, etc.

There are precautions and common-sense behaviors, well-grounded in research, to help the aging athlete continue to be very physically active well into their senior years. Do not exercise with “reckless abandon.” Avoid being welded to one activity or one sport only. “Cross-Training” is the buzzword in fitness centers today. Instead, for example, of running every day, one should alternate other activities – swimming – cycling, weight-training, etc. This concept helps to avoid repetitive stress injuries that have become a major part of the patient volume in many clinics. Running-related degeneration of weight-bearing joints have led to the very significant increase in total hip replacement and total knee replacement throughout the country – Many runners also play racquet sports, basketball, volleyball - adding to the continual pounding of their spine and lower extremities.

Current research indicates that people over 50 should not run more than two times a week. As a physical therapist, giving that advice to a dedicated runner with joint problems is analogous to asking the individual to die. They want to “pay the price” to continue running – the old and out-moded “no pain, no gain” philosophy. In this era of research-based athletic training and scientific exercise design, that idea is illogical.

At Doctor Kanner’s office, the therapy staff can help the boomer athlete recover from their injury or problem quickly and efficiently. A treatment program is designed that incorporates the patient’s fitness goals with their physiologic capabilities. As the (problem) injury is resolved, an exercise routine is introduced that includes strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance training. The boomer athlete needs longer warm-up periods prior to activity, proper shoes and clothes for their sport, and a cool-down period involving mild stretching exercises afterwards. With attention to cross-training and moderation, the boomer should be able to avoid the pitfalls of boomeritis and continue to exercise well into their 80s.

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