We Need a Decade by Decade Book for Physical Health
Most of us in our 60’s remember Gail Sheehy’s book Passages and how with each decade we need to assess where we are, what mistakes we have made, and what habits to begin.
The need for such a book on physical health became clear when I began writing my own physical health story when I retired, having gone from an athlete who could bike, swim, and run all day (before triathlons existed) to someone almost disabled in debilitating pain. This is me at 29:
The path back to health took four years and thousands of hours (and dollars) of therapy, but it did give me the chance to reflect on my youth because I could in looking back write this:
“But nobody tells you that in your 30’s and especially your 40’s you need to do a total inventory of your body and how you stand, sit, and walk; i.e., how are all the parts working together. I did have various problems, mainly with the tendons, such as Achilles tendonitis (walking uphill too much), and plantar fasciitis (from hiking), but each time required a specific therapy and it seemed to work. An interesting injury was when I completely tore a tendon on the top of my index finger and the nail joint drooped. The “fix” was to splint the finger and never bend it for six weeks. If I bent the joint even once, I had to start the 6-week clock again. I was skeptical but I did keep it straight for six weeks, and in his office, I undid the splint and the joint held. So complete rest does work to heal tendons in some cases. I also had the classic plantar fasciitis (just the spot in front of the heel), and while doing therapy I had my first pair of orthotics made. The insurance company said it was not essential but paid 60%. Wearing the orthotic at first was almost as bad as the fasciitis, but after a week the pain was magically gone, and I had no foot problems for 15 years. But now I know wearing orthotics is a deal with the devil; you do extensive therapy to correct your gait, but once the orthotic compensates for your weaknesses you stop doing therapy exercises, since you think you are fixed.”
I have now finished my story, and while nobody wants to read 100 pages of text (unless someone asks me), I did come up with a series of slides, which judging by people’s strong reactions must be on the right track. Although I have worked with many physical therapists in many environments, my best teacher, as always, has been bitter experience.
What to do each decade — don’t make life an endless Apollo 13:
Your 20's
What’s happening:
• Can still be like a teenager (clueless) because your body can recover
• If start gaining weight, just run 5 miles/day until weight is lost
You can be:
- Dutiful — military
- Irresponsible — Cross-fit, Mudder
- Smart — Become 30
Stop:
• Nothing, because although you should follow the next slide you are too ignorant/arrogant. Wait until you are 30.
Your 30's
What’s happening:
• Joints (especially tendons) don’t heal as fast
• Weight creep
• Major injury can lead to imbalance, weakness, compensation, all = chronic pain
Stop:
• Weight machines that force path of weight
• Junk food
• Road running (any thing that repeats hard impact)
• Road cycling (stop longs periods on exposed joint)
Start
- Read complete sports medicine book
- Path running — makes running less boring as well
- Mountain cycling — dismount at intervals to walk bike, especially up steep grades
• Swimming / Rowing / Kayaking at intervals after learning correct technique
• Full body assessment — learn where you are “stuck” to learn how to sit, stand, walk
Your 40’s
What’s Happening:
• Lung capacity starts to decline, but not by much
• Weight creep continues
• Minor injury can lead to imbalance, weakness, compensation, all = chronic pain
Stop
• Path running over long distances
• Mountain cycling over long time periods
• Exercising in high temperatures — body’s cooling system is not what is was
Start
• Path hiking — use hills to get heart rate up
• Buy a good massage table, all therapy exercises require one, yet none at health clubs
• All exercise must be non-impact — Could try out a Trikke
• Intense water therapy — Excellent if have healthy joints, and you can get anaerobic — should start earlier but usually a crisis shows this is a critical exercise / therapy
Your 50’s
What’s Happening
• Lung capacity does decline, but can still get heart rate to almost anaerobic
• Weight problem will force a change in eating habits — Quote from Duke IM doctor — ”only by not exercising can you lose weight”
• Need to try to avoid any injury, or know immediately if you are tweaking something
Start
• Sitting in normal office chair — and sitting longer than 30 minutes — At office, drink water and do stairs/stretch for each bathroom break
Continue
• Swimming/Rowing/Kayaking at intervals after learning correct technique
- Water exercise after you have learned proper exercises with proper equipment
Since I made almost all of the mistakes listed here, I can’t lecture anyone, but with this knowledge you can try to undo the damage. I have shown this to a lot of people in their 20’s and 30’s, and if a light comes on this work has not been in vain.