Advice on Avoiding "Overuse" Injuries for a 50-year-old?

[Little Lightning]

Advice from strength coach Dan John. Strengthen what is weakening, stretch what is tightening. Makes sense but not always easy to figure out.

My goal when I started working with my personal trainer was to the regain strength I lost due to a leg injury. My trainers goal was to get me to master basic human movements. The PT I was working with noticed that I heavily favored my left side, but he didn't seem to know how to correct it. In the early days of my training I discovered how weak it was. Any single leg workouts were extremely difficult. I struggled to do them on my left side. Squatting was always to the right. Got that corrected, too. Benefits of all this work, left right sides work equally, no more low back pain when cycling or doing daily activity. Now my workouts are more intense, lots of pushing and pulling exercises. Now using shoulder muscles, more complaining from those muscles Lately, I realized I never thought much about shoulder and back muscles. Learning alot about them. Need lots of stretching, and massage, to loosen them up. The benefit, I'm so close to doing a full push up. My posture is so much better, my strength for daily activities has improved, I lift and carry things that used to be too heavy.

Some mornings I go through the "I don't really feel like doing this today". I'd much rather go for a bike ride or hike or ski. However, I've never seen physical improvements just doing cardio like I've seen since doing this program. It's not complicated, just strengthening the weak muscles and stretching the tight muscles. Oh yes, when I do my other activities I do them comfortably with confidence and strength.

 

[Susan 76]

Advice from strength coach Dan John. Strengthen what is weakening, stretch what is tightening. Makes sense but not always easy to figure out.

My goal when I started working with my personal trainer was to the regain strength I lost due to a leg injury. My trainers goal was to get me to master basic human movements. The PT I was working with noticed that I heavily favored my left side, but he didn't seem to know how to correct it. In the early days of my training I discovered how weak it was. Any single leg workouts were extremely difficult. I struggled to do them on my left side. Squatting was always to the right. Got that corrected, too. Benefits of all this work, left right sides work equally, no more low back pain when cycling or doing daily activity. Now my workouts are more intense, lots of pushing and pulling exercises. Now using shoulder muscles, more complaining from those muscles Lately, I realized I never thought much about shoulder and back muscles. Learning alot about them. Need lots of stretching, and massage, to loosen them up. The benefit, I'm so close to doing a full push up. My posture is so much better, my strength for daily activities has improved, I lift and carry things that used to be too heavy.

Some mornings I go through the "I don't really feel like doing this today". I'd much rather go for a bike ride or hike or ski. However, I've never seen physical improvements just doing cardio like I've seen since doing this program. It's not complicated, just strengthening the weak muscles and stretching the tight muscles. Oh yes, when I do my other activities I do them comfortably with confidence and strength.

Tell us what your program is

 

[Little Lightning]

From the gym's website:
"Our program begins with the Functional Movement Screen™ to identify what you do well and what needs improvement. Then, beginning where you are and heading to where you want to go, we use a joint-by-joint approach to improve your overall mobility/flexibility, core-strength, joint integrity, strength, power, endurance, and athleticism."

My trainer plans my sessions. After my warmup, my session might be working with kettlebells, TRX, free weights, barbell, sled, ropes, rowing machines, pull ups/pushups, agility ladder, etc. I usually work in 3 sessions a week. Each session is different but they always incorporate the elements of squatting, pushing/pulling, hip hinging, etc. A sample session would be, Warmup- Medball Alternating Lunge Slams, RIP Pitchfork. Then the Turkish Getup-4 per side. Then I do 8-10 reps.-1 leg squat, TRX L Sit PullUp, Kettlebell Clean and Press, Renegade Row. I do 2-3 rounds then finish off with a TRX 1 Leg Plank Movement (knee to elbows, toe taps). 1 session a week my workout is timed, do as many rounds as possible in 25 min. After 4 weeks my sessions change.

I didn't start out this way. Initially my workouts were more body weight, TRX, lighter weights. The focus was on develping better movement patterns, ie. squatting and developing core, etc. I often went home feeling like I hadn't worked out at all. I still work a lot on form especially when I deadlift or squat heavy weight. My trainer encourages me to lift as heavy as I can. When I can do 10 reps. he increases the weight. I can squat 50 lbs. and deadlift 95 lbs. I don't do such heavy weight every session. Right now I'm squatting heavy but haven't deadlifted in over a month. My legs handle all this pretty well but arms and shoulders complain a lot at times. Also, I never realized there were so many ways to lift and move the body. I still haven't figured out where my trainer comes up with such a variety of exercises.

 

[Susan 76]

From the gym's website:
"Our program begins with the Functional Movement Screen™ to identify what you do well and what needs improvement. Then, beginning where you are and heading to where you want to go, we use a joint-by-joint approach to improve your overall mobility/flexibility, core-strength, joint integrity, strength, power, endurance, and athleticism."

My trainer plans my sessions. After my warmup, my session might be working with kettlebells, TRX, free weights, barbell, sled, ropes, rowing machines, pull ups/pushups, agility ladder, etc. I usually work in 3 sessions a week. Each session is different but they always incorporate the elements of squatting, pushing/pulling, hip hinging, etc. A sample session would be, Warmup- Medball Alternating Lunge Slams, RIP Pitchfork. Then the Turkish Getup-4 per side. Then I do 8-10 reps.-1 leg squat, TRX L Sit PullUp, Kettlebell Clean and Press, Renegade Row. I do 2-3 rounds then finish off with a TRX 1 Leg Plank Movement (knee to elbows, toe taps). 1 session a week my workout is timed, do as many rounds as possible in 25 min. After 4 weeks my sessions change.

I didn't start out this way. Initially my workouts were more body weight, TRX, lighter weights. The focus was on develping better movement patterns, ie. squatting and developing core, etc. I often went home feeling like I hadn't worked out at all. I still work a lot on form especially when I deadlift or squat heavy weight. My trainer encourages me to lift as heavy as I can. When I can do 10 reps. he increases the weight. I can squat 50 lbs. and deadlift 95 lbs. I don't do such heavy weight every session. Right now I'm squatting heavy but haven't deadlifted in over a month. My legs handle all this pretty well but arms and shoulders complain a lot at times. Also, I never realized there were so many ways to lift and move the body. I still haven't figured out where my trainer comes up with such a variety of exercises.

Thank you for sharing that.

 

[BlizzardBabe]

I'm begging indulgence in case this suggestion has already been made (I WILL go back and read the entire thread). If you really do not like/do not stick to a plan to stretch and do strength training on their own, perhaps you could incorporate both into your biking, hiking, running, etc. Running under a low hanging branch? Stop and do a few pull-ups. Lifting the bike onto the roof rack? Lift it 3 times instead of once. Changing shoes? Do it standing up. Water break? Stretch while you drink.

I also like stretching in the shower after a workout. I grab my battery-operated candle, my recovery shake, and tune in Pandora. Just be sure to have a quality non-skid bath mat.

 

[BlizzardBabe]

@Tvan I so sympathize: I went through the anemia-fibroids-hysterectomy ordeal, too. It took forever to get an accurate diagnosis, so the anemia kept me from leading outing trips at school because I had no stamina. I thought it was just age. Then getting back to fitness after 8 weeks of recovery from the surgery was awful. I once broke down in tears because I couldn't run 1/2 a mile.

So I am highly motivated to protect my health and fitness.

Another hyster-sister! I ended up in the hospital needing an emergency transfusion for severe anemia and that made my mind up - yank the faulty plumbing! The day I had my hysterectomy was probably one of the happiest days of my life!

The problem is that post-surgery I gained about 30 lbs. The anemia, awful as it was, kept the weight off b/c my heart was working double time. Now I cannot get the weight back down. I'm in the process of revamping my diet (which wasn't bad - just too many restaurant meals), and I've quit drinking. You'd think that giving up wine would do something, but life is proving yet again that it isn't fair. I haven't dropped an ounce. That said, I'm back into my solid workout regimen and I'm putting on muscle. We'll see how those ski pants fit when I do my pre-season inventory in September.

At age 59, its always somethin'.

 

[SallyCat]

@BlizzardBabe I agree about the hysto being a happy event! Good luck with your workout regime. I'm in something of the same boat, except I refuse to give up alcohol. It's hard living in Vermont now where everyone is super fit and healthy; it's a bit intimidating. But I keep plugging away toward better fitness.

 

[Little Lightning]

I'm begging indulgence in case this suggestion has already been made (I WILL go back and read the entire thread). If you really do not like/do not stick to a plan to stretch and do strength training on their own, perhaps you could incorporate both into your biking, hiking, running, etc. Running under a low hanging branch? Stop and do a few pull-ups. Lifting the bike onto the roof rack? Lift it 3 times instead of once. Changing shoes? Do it standing up. Water break? Stretch while you drink.

I also like stretching in the shower after a workout. I grab my battery-operated candle, my recovery shake, and tune in Pandora. Just be sure to have a quality non-skid bath mat.

I saw a woman lift mtn bikes on a rack 3x's. She put her bike up, then her friends bike. She realized her car keys were on her bike so she took her bike down to get her keys and put it back up. I can attest that woman had some awesome core muscles and upper body strength.

 

[Iwannaski]

@SallyCat ... hi... I’m lurking and reading to learn. This question always bugs me, because I’ve had times of brilliance at managing my wellness and then times of abject failure.

The pandemic made me focus.... I walked 3 miles almost every single day the first 5-6 months because it was the only way I could manage my anxiety about everything that was going on at the time. I realized then that moving was so therapeutic for me.

So, now, i actually write my physical well-being onto my to do list. I plan out what that will look like for the week at the beginning of the week and then I just mindlessly obey myself. If you haven’t yet found your happy, maybe that will be helpful?

 

[snowski/swimmouse]

Good plan! I need to be more disciplined that way between ski & swim seasons....

 

[contesstant]

I'm not sure if I posted this before or not, but the role of estrogen in our overall joint/connective tissue/heart health is huge.

In my journey to find the optimal hormone balance in post-menopause, I have found that when my estrogen levels drop because we've adjusted them a little downward, I develop so many aches and pains that I feel I can never stretch enough, or do enough exercises to balance one area out to compensate for another, weaker area. My resting heart rate goes up by almost 20%, my vision declines, etc. Memory declines, sharp whit declines, I am very disorganized, and get depressed and anxious.

So, if you're in your 30s or early 40s, enjoy it, and if you start feeling some of these things I mentioned on the decline, get your hormones tested. HRT has been a God-send for me. It's rather frustrating that men can get viagra covered by insurance, but non-synthetic HRT for women I have to pay for out-of-pocket, and yet it literally makes my life and health so much better.

 

[VickiK]

^ brain health too. Bio-identical estrogen patches helped me sleep through the night and restored a sense of emotional balance.

 

[newboots]

Alas, after 20 years or so, they suggest stopping the estrogen. Turns out I was on such a small dose it didn't make any difference. Still have hot flashes coming and going, and -

Memory declines, sharp whit declines, I am very disorganized, and get depressed and anxious.

this is me.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

The only I door classes i tolerate are the 8 week ski and bike fitness programs that just about every gym offers in our mountain town. Something about suffering with familiar ski buddy faces akd knowing it is with a very specific goal in mind helps. I am always the firat to quit and manage leas reps than others, but this year due to covid i did not take a series like I usually do, amd am suffering for it.

When my neck was heqlthier i loves going to the rock gym in winter. Instead of socializing over drinks or dinner, I got to work out muscles that balance the ski/bike muscles.

 

[gingerjess]

While my course of HRT is slightly different than all y'all's, I've also noticed a vast improvement in my memory and sensitivity to depression and anxiety since I started bioidentical estradiol. I will say that on top of that, bioidentical progesterone (there's a generic now!) has been amazing for the overall stability of my mood and my self-confidence.

 

[geargrrl]

On the topic of hormones, I am just starting with bioidenticals. I've been seeing a metabolic specialist and this is part of a multi-pronged program we are doing. We did the full saliva/dna profile before the compound was prescribed. She had me read, https://www.amazon.com/What-Must-About-Womens-Hormones by Dr Pamela Smith. Very scientific; a good 1/3 of the book is references and citations. She is very clear on the risk differentials of synthetic vs bioidenticals. Worth while read IMO.

 

[contesstant]

On the topic of hormones, I am just starting with bioidenticals. I've been seeing a metabolic specialist and this is part of a multi-pronged program we are doing. We did the full saliva/dna profile before the compound was prescribed. She had me read, https://www.amazon.com/What-Must-About-Womens-Hormones by Dr Pamela Smith. Very scientific; a good 1/3 of the book is references and citations. She is very clear on the risk differentials of synthetic vs bioidenticals. Worth while read IMO.

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I also have that book. You'll have to report back on how the HRT is treating you. It takes awhile for the effects to settle, but it's so worth it!

 

[geargrrl]

Will do. I would not do it with synthetics; looks like the bioidentical compounded to what you specifically need is the way to go.