Photo by Justin Steele
Illustrations by Cindy Luu
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Smart Fitness. . .
Pain-Free Exercise
By Gabrielle deGroot Redford, September & October 2006
Here’s how to start a fitness program without hurting yourself
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Are you avoiding exercise for fear that it might do you more harm than good? If so, consider Ron Bowman, 56, who this year alone has completed four marathons, four 50-kilometer races, one half-Ironman, and an Olympic distance triathlon. During the past few years he's done the Hawaii Ironman and the Vermont 100-mile race, as well as the Eagleman Half-Ironman and the JFK 50-miler (he's run the latter every year for the past 12 years, actually). The Cancun Half-Ironman in September will be his 100th triathlon, but he also has 64 marathons and 60 ultra-marathons under his belt. His greatest feat? Despite logging more than 34,000 miles on foot in the past 25 years, he has rarely, if ever, gotten injured.
"I decided a long time ago that exercise was important to me, and I wanted to be able to extend my competitive life and my exercise life for as long as I could," says Bowman, who lives and trains in Annapolis, Maryland.
Most of us will never be superstar athletes like Ron Bowman—and that's just fine. There's a saying that if you're running marathons, you're doing it for more than fitness anyway. But if you're not exercising because you're afraid of getting injured (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "fear of injury" is one of the main reasons people give for not being physically active), you need to come up with another excuse.
Below are three common fears about exercise—and the real scoop on how to get in shape without getting injured:
1. "I'm in terrible shape. I'm afraid I'll break a leg—or worse."
Richard Kyle, M.D., president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, has a name for the range of sports-related injuries he sees among 50- and 60-year-old patients: boomeritis. "We see a lot of people coming in who have decided they're going to get fit, so they start exercising the way they did in their 20s and 30s," he says. "All of a sudden they're in my office with pain in their knees, their hips, their shoulders." The key to avoiding these injuries isn't to give up on exercise altogether but to adjust your expectations about what you can and should do. "Don't start out by running five miles just because you could do it ten years ago," Kyle says. "Be aware of how fit you are and how old you are"—and modify your exercise program accordingly. Other important steps to take to avoid injury: start slowly and build up gradually (experts say to increase the amount of exercise you do by no more than 10 percent a week); always warm up the muscles you're going to use; stretch before and after you exercise (see sidebar: 5 Simple Stretches to Keep You Pain-Free); cross-train by doing several different types of activities; and cool down with a few minutes of low-intensity exercise, such as walking. Kyle also recommends that his patients apply ice to any muscles or joints that may be sore immediately following exercise.
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2. "I'm afraid I'll wear out my knees (or my hips). They're bad enough as it is."
It wasn't so long ago that doctors advised patients with arthritis not to exercise, for fear they would damage their already injured joints. But research has since shown that exercise can actually decrease pain in people with bad hips and knees. In fact, all forms of exercise are now seen as essential components of any arthritis-management program. That's because resistance exercises can strengthen the muscles surrounding the joints, putting less strain on them; flexibility exercises (stretching) can ease joint stiffness; and aerobic exercise can keep weight under control, which also decreases pressure on joints. Because it might be tough (mentally and physically) to exercise swollen joints, try not to do too much in the first few sessions. "A five-minute walk might be enough for the first day," says Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, Ph.D., director of the National Blueprint: Increasing Physical Activity Among Adults Age 50 and Older and a fellow with the American College of Sports Medicine. If a fairly low-impact exercise such as walking is too painful at first, try water aerobics or swimming.
3. "I'm afraid of pain."
You've likely heard that athletes and trainers no longer advocate a "No pain, no gain" philosophy. But you might not know that exercise isn't supposed to hurt at all. In fact, if it does hurt, that means you're doing something wrong. Bowman, who coaches first-time marathon runners, often tells his protégés they need to become their own pain detectives. "Ask yourself, why am I always having this calf pull or why am I always twisting my left ankle? If you pay attention to your body, you can treat it like a mystery novel. You're searching for clues and doing the analysis."
So how, exactly, do you become a pain detective? Keep a journal of what you're feeling when you're feeling it. Do you have pain in your shins every time you walk more than a mile? Do you notice pain in the balls of your feet only in the morning? Write it down. See if you notice patterns—or particular aches after certain types of exercise. If after two weeks you see no improvement, then see a physical therapist, orthopedic doctor, or other health professional. By the way, a small amount of muscle soreness one or two days after exercise is normal. Ironically, the way to diminish the normal aches and pains of exercise—as well as the likelihood of getting injured—is to keep exercising.
Gabrielle deGroot Redford is a features editor for AARP The Magazine.
Think you don’t have time to stretch? Check out five simple stretches to keep you pain-free. The entire routine takes less than five minutes.
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