My first sign was that I had become a step slower; the younger guys were beating my defense. Then came more telling signs such as hamstring pulls, cramps in my calves and finally, a torn rotator cuff (which required an operation resulting in the insertion of four pins into my shoulder). In short, the mind was willing, but the body was not…basketball, football, it didn’t matter; I simply wasn’t the “old me.”
A relatively new term, “boomeritis,” has been coined by a well-known and respected orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, who has treated members of the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team and Philadelphia Ballet. The term refers to what Dr. DiNubile, in an msnbc.com article by Lisa Daniels, calls a mind-body mismatch that describes the alarming increase in sports-related injuries suffered by middle-age patients (i.e. boomers). Many of us 50 plus males fall into this category.
Let’s face it, we all would like to turn back the clock and athletically perform at the same levels as we did 20-30 years ago. To this end, many of us push ourselves beyond acceptable li
mits in our efforts to remain physically fit. Walk into any health club and you’d be amazed at the portion of members comprised by people 50 plus years of age. Have you noticed the large number of “mature” men and women competing in 10K races and even triathlons in your locale? This certainly isn’t a disturbing phenomenon, it’s just that we’re not following proper exercise regimens in many cases. Some of us are also totally caught-up in our work during the week and have consequently become weekend warriors.
In a Sept. 20th article in The Philadelphia Inquirer written by Lini S. Kadaba, 60 year old Los Angeles-based sociologist BJ Gallagher is quoted as saying that “intense physical exertion is to be expected by folks who have traditionally broken the rules…we’ve defied authority and now we’re attempting to defy Mother Nature.” The key is to listen to your body and know when to exercise (pardon the pun) some restraint. You know that eating moderately will help keep your weight down; doesn’t it follow that moderation in physical activity will help reduce your chance of injury?
For many of us, our DNA won’t allow us to stop pushing ourselves when it comes to workouts or participation in sports. We need to learn that vanity and ego have to take a back seat to common sense. It doesn’t necessarily mean any loss of swagger, just less immobility and discomfort.
-Neal
