As a physical therapist and an over-40 athlete who evaluates orthopedic injuries and provides therapy for older athletes, I believe we need our own support group and 12-step program. You know who you are. We are the Chronic Over-Exercisers. We hurt, but we won’t slow down. We keep going, even though our tendons snap off our bones. We’ll only go to the doctor or therapist or surgeon if they can fix it so we can keep going. And some of us, even after four knee surgeries and a hip replacement, still want to run. For us, it is our Fountain of Youth. 

     More and more attention is given to the surge of musculoskeletal injuries in older exercisers. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), baby-boomer sports injuries jumped 33 percent during the 1990s, with injury costs totaling more than $18.7 billion by the end of 1998, and those numbers are only expected to increase.

     Who are these aging, recalcitrant jocks? We are the Boomer Generation, the largest population cohort born between 1946 and 1964, 75 million strong, representing 29% of the U.S. population. In 2007, that would make us between 43 and 61 years old. We’re getting older, but no one bothered to tell our bodies. We keep trying to do what our 20- or 30-year old bodies used to do, but now, we’re starting to hurt. 

     The term “boomeritis” was coined to explain the increasing over-use injuries and complaints arising in the Boomer generation. This phenomenon of the chronically inflamed Boomer has become a multi-billion dollar industry – everything from hip and knee replacements, to joint-saving herbal supplements. 

     So why do we hurt? Most of this cellular anarchy we experience results from chronic overuse, or doing the same thing in the same way day after day. Our body soon grows tired of these repetitive activities, and manifests this unhappiness in the form of strained muscles, sprained ligaments, or a tendonitis, eventually morphing into the super-chronic tendonopathy.

A Website for the Boomer Athlete - 

Physical Therapists are the musculoskeletal experts when it comes to exercise and rehabilitation. I’ll explain the global syndromes of overuse, shares my “million-dollar” exercises designed to rebalance and stabilize based on research and clinical experience, as well as takes a stand on exercises to avoid completely. This is not meant for you to self-diagnose, but to further clarify a condition that has been addressed by your physician or physical therapist.

The good news is you don’t have to stop exercising when you’re injured. In fact, keep exercising! But choose the right exercises that will assist your return to a state of equilibrium. We tend to over-exercise the large muscle groups, but neglect the little stabilizing muscles. As a result, a muscular imbalance occurs, and soon, we’re gradually grating on a tendon, like a rat chewing on a rope, until one day, it finally breaks. Yes, they do finally break, especially with our older, less-flexible tendons.

The four generally accepted areas of fitness are cardiovascular endurance, strength, flexibility and balance. I’m assuming most of you are doing plenty of cardio, maybe a reason why you’re experiencing pain and limitation. My focus is proper strength and stabilizing exercises, flexibility and balance. I’ll also discuss alternative exercise activities to add to your cross-training choices. Variety is good!

My section on Research News will present journal articles, and offer the “bottom line” of what it means for you. Finally, my blog offers an opportunity to dialogue with me and other Boomers with similar concerns.

It is my hope this website will give you a better understanding of your own body and how it works, encourage you to embrace your body as it changes and grows older, and gently remind you that beating it into submission comes with consequences. Treat it well, and it will serve you in your many endeavors and adventures for a very long time. Aging with strength and vitality is the goal to an active and fulfilling life. 

Your Fellow Boomer and Avid Exerciser,