How To Stay In The Sport As An Aging Athlete, FitOldDog’s Seven Simple Rules

Hi folks! Welcome.

One thing is for sure, exercise is good for you.

Another thing is for sure, the older you get the easier it is to injure yourself

Yet another thing is for sure, the older you are the longer it takes to recover.

And even another thing is for sure, because you’re older doesn’t mean you’re necessarily smarter.

You have to work at it to stay in your sport as you age, so here are some rules that are working for this old dog, for now at least:

1. You don’t get there on your own, so be nice to people and say thank you.
2. Move from intensity to volume as you age.
3. Work to maintain power/strength as you age, rather than trying to increase your power/strength; the training feels the same, but your goals will be more realistic, making injury and disappointment less likely, instead…
4. Train smarter by reducing the bodily drag of tight muscles and poor neuromuscular conditioning, or poor technique, as old dogs can learn new tricks.
5. Increase body awareness,  because the next injury is just one little mistake away, and as you know the aging body doesn’t do so well with injuries.
6. Only pursue a sport because you love it, and if that old zest is gone move onto something else, the choices are endless.
7. Work out with people of all ages if you can, because the young keep you young at heart, and older people, if they are still active athletes, have some wisdom to impart, which just might keep you out there a little longer.

Happy trails,

FitOldDog