Exercise maladies hit more boomers

PHILADELPHIA – For David Kozlow, turning 40 was a major pain in the neck. And in the ankles, back, groin, shoulder and hamstrings.

A lifelong athlete who played high school lacrosse and college football, ran a 5:20 mile and bench-pressed 300 pounds, the attorney found himself approaching his 40th birthday with a laundry list of exercise-related injuries.

One of those ailments, a herniated disk in his neck, took two years of acupuncture and heat therapy to alleviate the pain.

“I still had the mind-set that I was in my 20s,” he said. “It took a few years for me to come to the conclusion that I couldn’t really do what I used to do, and I had to readjust my sights.”

Getting older hurts, and doctors say that’s more the case with exercise injuries than ever before. Many are seeing increasing numbers of baby boomers with blown knees, sore backs, stiff shoulders and other complaints.

“The volume of people in their 40s, and even in their 30s, coming in with (knee) osteoarthritis is much higher than a decade ago,” said Dr. Jess Lonner, director of knee-replacement surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. “It’s a highly motivated generation that plays harder than a generation ago.”

Sports injuries among baby boomers increased by 33 percent from 1991 to 1998, according to figures cited in a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission report. Baby boomers in 1998 suffered more that 1 million sports injuries, to the tune of nearly $19 billion in medical costs, said the report from 2000, the most recent data available.

The highest numbers of sports-related injuries came from bicycling, basketball, baseball and running, according to the consumer report. The most common injuries come from overuse and affect knees, ankles, lower back and shoulders.

Aging can’t be avoided, but injuries can be. And doctors say that doesn’t mean all avid joggers must hang up their running shoes, or lifelong basketball players must necessarily forgo the neighborhood court; it’s all about exercising smarter.

Here are some tips for how to avoid injury while exercising as you age. * Warm up and stretch first. Muscles are not as flexible as they used to be. * Don’t be a “weekend warrior.” People who exercise three to five days a week are at less risk for injury that someone who does nothing all week, then goes full throttle on the weekend. * Take lessons, even if you’re not a newcomer to a sport. Proper form and instruction reduce the chance of such injuries as tendinitis or stress fractures. * Invest in good equipment. Select the proper shoes for your sport, use them only for that sport, and replace them when they lose support or the treads show wear. * Listen to your body. Pain, swelling and stiffness can be signals it’s time to modify an exercise routine. * Use the 10 percent rule. Increase activity levels in increments of no more than 10 percent per week, whether you’re calculating miles walked or pounds lifted. * Anyone who has had injuries such as tendinitis, arthritis, stress fracture or low back pain should work with an orthopedic surgeon on a fitness routine that promotes good health and minimizes injury risk.

“The old adage ‘no pain, no gain’ should be less relevant as we age than when we’re younger,” Lonner said. “It’s a matter of being educated in how to exercise appropriately and what signs to look out for when exercising, like muscle soreness and joint pain.”

For Kozlow, the solution was to switch from strenuous weightlifting to a workout that was gentler on muscles and joints. Now he does yoga and tai chi every day, strength training with light free weights and push-ups every other day, along with isometrics and elastic resistance bands. He also walks to and from work – about a 35-block round-trip.

Doctors recommend a physical exam, including a cardiovascular work-up, for baby boomers looking to get active or stay fit. The results can be used to tailor an individual fitness program with the lowest injury risk.