Being Active & Staying Injury Free?
 

How do people in TV who are physically active stay injury free? We are in our early 50s and active, but we are started to get injured with sports. My husband ruptured his Achilles Tendon this week at pickleball lessons. We do yoga 3x per week and go to the gym, but are still getting injured. I am getting worried that our retirement might be plagued with injuries.

Warm up and stretch prior to play.

Agree with M Man.


Also......Different sports require different muscles.........so work into sports carefully and slowly. Some injuries come from working "new muscles" too quickly. There are people with weak bones, but my (non-MD) observation is most injuries are muscle related.


I can run, play golf, play pickleball and survive to play another day. But, play a pick-up game of basketball and I find new muscles the next day.


Go SLOW.

As we age we need to consistently evaluate our limitations more and more. I know when I first retired that I tried to do too much. Unfortunately, most of us “learn the hard way”. Slow down and don’t expect so much of yourself. My advice would be to rest at least two days a week by doing something that doesn’t require all that much energy such as taking in a movie, concert, church, or just curling up on the couch or around the pool with a good book with your spouse or significant other. Five days a week is more than enough golf, pickleball, softball or whatever...

Doctor told be to avoid all sports that would or could involve impact to my knees, so I eliminated several of these activities, and settled on bowling, up to 5 times a week, rain or shine and air conditioned. My point, talk to your primary care doctor, and adjust or alter your activities to limit possible injuries.

More the point were you active prior to starting new activities in TV. We have belonged to a 24/7 facility for 18 years which we used 7 days a week, prior to coming to TV. We are actually doing less here until we join a facility that can offer all the classes, state of the art equipment, and indoor swim lanes we are used to.

golf and bowling OK - Pickleball or softball??????

Depends on the level you play at and what you done at work? If you compete at high level, then you have to put in the time to be able to compete at that level. I play tennis, pickleball, and some golf, even shooting pool requires some warm up (bending over the table and being to break balls hard)

For active sports stretching and light exercising the muscles especially early morning is must. You also have to be within reason the proper weight limit, 20 pounds plus over weight is good way to stay injured.

I even stretch before doing any yard work. Especially pulling weeks or bending over for very long. Still with good warm up and within 15 pounds of my premium weight I still pull something from over playing or previous injury for working 48 plus years.

There also point that you just can’t compete at the high level you want to and have to slow down to be able to continue without major injuries. Pickleball not good sport for someone who’s never played racket sports. You really have to start 6 month before hand to be able to move, change directions, and stretch out for balls cause you’re using muscles and stretching tendons that haven’t been tested for long time.

I agree with many others here.

If by "Active" you mean competitive sports, this will strain your abilities (always trying to improve) and may result in higher likelihood of overexertion. However if "Active" means simply enjoying the sport, then your chances of becoming injured are less as you are more there for the journey than the completion of the trip.

Of course some sports are more prone to injuries (compare the sports of road bicycle racing to bird watching). I think I could enjoy doing both, but I realize that: me perched on a thin tire bike going 40 MPH is more apt to result in an injury than looking a a songbird perched on a branch.

To sum it up, life is full of opportunities and chances. Find one that pleases and is acceptable to you and enjoy! There are MANY to choose from here!

My activity includes driving the golf cart, floating in the pool and sitting listening to music in the squares. I guess the physical part is walking from where I park to the square or other event. No plans to do much else.

I know that the first eye-opener for me was I was so hyped up to get here that I wanted to repair all the years of sitting at a desk in one month in The Villages.

When I ended up meeting My Primary Doctor for the first time he said "Big Steed, Pace Yourself and Start Out with Swimming" until we get some of that Baby Fat off of you! :1rotfl: I'm still Swimming three years later and have only gotten injured as a spectator watching HorseShoes. I was :blahblahblah: not watching and got clocked. Thankfully NOTHING got broken and they didn't get a Ringer on me if you catch my drift!

They were more concerned about me Suing them, which I don't do cause when I got up I asked whoever it was for the Morgan & Morgan Phone Number. Just Kidding. :1rotfl::1rotfl:

Just pace yourself you'll be fine.

I might have asked for the Captain Morgan with some Coke mixed in!!