QuestionDr
I am 53. Although I am overweight, I work out on a regular basis with weights and cardio. I want to keep working as long as I can.
Here is my situation. Last year I was invited to play soccer. I did a little running and preped myself leading up to the game.
In the game I twisted BOTH my knees. It took almost a year to completly recover, and one kneee still feels a bit wonky.
Tonight I was invited to play hockey with an old timers team that needed bodies. I felt I cpould do it. Once again, I went for a little skate outside in the morning (I live in western Canada)and I did lots of stretching beforethe game.
During the pregame skate, I pulled my left hamstring-I didnt even get to play the game.
Is my body trying to send me a message? This is frustrating because I still have the will, maybe not the way. I also see guys much older than me still playing sports. What is ironic is that tonight I had to borrow a white jersey-it was number 13 of course.
Should I give up the sports and concentrate on my golf game? I dont want a sports injury to take me off the job. Are some people just not as geneticly gifted physically as others? Maybe the guy upstairs is sending me messages and I dont get them. Or was this just an unlucky thing and I should keep playing?
Thanks for your opinion.
AnswerBud,
One must always move to remain healthy and alive. Slow down or relegate yourself to the couch and your health and well-being will decline. That being said, you should approach exercise in a more conservative and safer way. A few laps around the park as pre-game fitness training is silly and dangerous and setting yourself up for disaster. At age 53, you are still considered YOUNG by today's standard. If you are not in condition, then you will need weeks to condition your body (muscles, bones, joints, tendons, etc.) so start off slow and give yourself weeks NOT days to acclimate. Of course certain sports require rapid and/or ballistic movements and lateral movements that may easily injure a knee or ankle. So choose your sports carefully. Train in an escalating manner that is safe and will not cause short term injury. Once you have conditioned your body and reached stamina then jump into a game. Remember the appropriate safety gear and next time borrow a number other than 13. Seeking assistance from a skilled certified personal trainer is helpful as is recovery with therapeutic massage, appropriate use of FIR sauna treatments, etc.
JP Saleeby, MD
WellnessOne
