Are you a Baby Boomer? If you were born between
years of 1946 to 1964, you are part of 79.1 million Boomers, comprising 29 percent of total US population. According to AARP, every seven seconds a Baby Boomer turns 50! And, about one-third of Americans who take part in sports activities are Boomers.As this generation grows older, they are working harder to keep their youth and vitality, are staying active with physical activity, and unfortunately are experiencing more injuries than generation before them.
A US Consumer Product Safety Commission report states there were 1 million sports injuries to persons between ages of 35 and 54 in 1998. This is a 33% increase over same statistics of 1991. While this sounds like distressing news for aging bodies, many sports-related injuries are minor aches, sprains and strains that can be treated or even prevented using self-treatment techniques. Whether you are a weekend warrior or a lifelong athlete, following suggestions may help you stay limber and relatively pain-free.
Warm-up before stretching or an activity. Muscles that are warm through slow-paced pre-exercise such as jogging or walking, will be less likely to tear.
Stretching before and after exercise. Stay limber and flexible. Stretching is one of best preventive measures against injury.
Get fitted with proper shoe. This is a top priority especially for running, hiking, and cross training. Go to a running store with someone on staff who will analyze your walk, arch, and how your foot turns in or out during activity. They will then fit you with a shoe having right amount of support or cushioning for your particular body type. This alone can substantially reduce incidence of injury.
Start daily conditioning. Do some type of activity every day to help condition your body for more strenuous weekend exercise.
Try adding low-impact activities to mix. Such as: Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi, Elliptical Trainer, Recumbent Cycling, Spinning.
