New Guidelines for Athletes Over 50: Bring It On!

Posted on May 14th 2010 11:00AM by Holly St. Lifer

When it comes to fitness in this country, there's a bit of a paradox going on. While Americans in general continue to be sedentary, a growing number of older adults are in the best shape of their lives. To specifically address the needs of these aging athletes, the American College of Sports Medicine released their first set of physician guidelines in April for "active individuals over 50."

According to exercise experts, the development of these guidelines was prompted by a recent cultural shift about our perception of aging. "We used to associate old age with buying a rocking chair and taking it easy. Today it's not unusual to hear of a 75-year-old training for a marathon," said Wojtek J. Chodzko-Zajko, professor and exercise physiologist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an ACSM spokesperson. "Doctors want to be able to offer advice to help 50-plus athletes push themselves to their limits."

This report targets a group of baby boomers who have been physically active all their lives and have no intention of slowing down -- not those who only do the minimum 30-minute walk.

While stories abound about octogenarian triathletes, those over 50 are embracing other sports in droves, too. According to the National Sporting Goods Association, participation in skateboarding and ice hockey among the 45- to 54-year-old population shot up over 200 percent between 1998 and 2007. Mountain biking increased 72 percent.

Among the recommended guidelines, physicians should have thorough knowledge of common overuse injuries such as Achilles tendonitis, lumbar spine stenosis, rotator cuff tears, elbow injuries and osteoarthritis to the hip, knee and shoulder. Therefore, make sure your internist is up on all of these or consider getting yourself an orthopedist. Since the most common cause of sudden death in master athletes is a heart attack, any personal or family history of cardiac issues may warrant additional ECG testing than for the non-athlete. Automatic external defibrillators should be available at all sanctioned masters athlete sporting events, along with personnel trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

The report also said that physicians should recommend resistance training to address age-related decline in muscle mass and strength. Chodzko-Zajko suggests taking it one step further: Tailor the weight plan for your specific sport whether it be golf, tennis or running. Strengthening the appropriate muscles helps ward off injury more effectively. Also 50-plus athletes who normally work out at a high intensity level should get periodic "pre-participation evaluations" to examine the individual's "cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and neurologic systems."

Check out the grueling weight training routine over-40 star Robert Downey, Jr. endured to bulk up for Iron Man 2.

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Tags: aging athlete, Chodzko-Zajko, exercise, fit-after-40, fitness, healthy aging, over 50, physical activity

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

JIM ARCANGELI 5-20-2010 @ 2:12PM

I AM 66 AND I ROW MY ERGO METER, USE THE TREAT MILL AND DO FLOOR EXCECISES FOR 90 MINUTES 5 DAYS A WEEK. I AM RETIRED AND RAISE A 13 YEAR OLD SON

bbway70 5-19-2010 @ 9:39PM

damn straight man...........i'm 64 have been working out since i was 34.....started late but, have a good body, people think my wife is my mother. i try to eat right and do the best i can with the workouts. I thank god every day for what i have, what i like the most? when i was in school i was always picked on and now the people i went to school with look nothing like me.

Klara Bieber 5-19-2010 @ 11:37PM

I am proud of you, I am 68 and I am on Pilate, walking, rowing. Get up early in the morning... non stop work. A few years ago marathon several years. Again. You do your best. Klara

Lee 5-19-2010 @ 8:53PM

sell your shi# somewhere else di4k

kevin 5-19-2010 @ 8:53PM

Thanks for the info, but I think most people already know this stuff.

Allan Blair 5-19-2010 @ 9:01PM

Let me tell you about my old friend "Grand Canyon Maverick." I have spent about 200 days backpacking with him in the Grand Canyon. He was a little scrawney guy who looked like a strong gust of wind would blow him away. He decided to hike across the Grand Canyou 80 times to commemorate his 80th yearon Earth. He did 106 rim to rim hikes that year! That is 21 miles with a descent and ascent of a mile.

I wear with pride the tee shirt that he gave me saying "42 MILES WITH MAVERICK," which commemorates a backpack trip that I did with him across the Grand Canyon and back.

That shows what athletes over 50 can do.

I plan to hike non stop across the Grand Canyon to celebrate my 79th birthday in late June. Does anybody want to join me?

Carol 5-29-2010 @ 11:27AM

You have inspired me! I just mentioned to a friend that I do not know how long I can exercise at the intensity that I do. I am 51 years old and can out-exercise (if that is a word) people that I work with that are 20 years younger than I am. I was thinking that perhaps in ten years I might not be able to do the aerobic and light weights that I do six days per week. But, it looks as if I might be wrong. I aspire to accomplish half of what you do when I am your age!!!

dpperry 5-19-2010 @ 10:06PM

This may sound obvious, but, the right answer is to never get out of shape. I went vegetarian 6 years ago because my blood pressure and cholesterol were climbing. Now both are normal. I never stopped running or weight training. At age 60, I play baseball (not softball) with a men's age 35+ amateur team. I teach martial arts, and exercise every day. I have a lot of aches and pains, but, the alternative is not acceptable. The best books I've ever read on health and fitness are the "Fit or Fat" series by Covert Bailey.

Heidi 5-19-2010 @ 9:49PM

I'm 46 years old and have been working out since I was in high school. I run 3 miles most days, lift weights 2-3 days a week, bike, do yoga and rollerblade when weather allows it. I think much of this information is repeat, but I think intensity of workouts and routines are based on history. If I had never exercised, I could understand taking all of these precautions, but come-on. We're not fragile, delicate things, especially if we've been workint-out for a long time. I think this information will do more to deter people from working-out than encourage it. Our country's population is obese-especially the children. Let's get some positive encouragement out there to get our nation moving...not the opposite!

bbway70 5-19-2010 @ 10:12PM

good for you keep it going.........and your right about the younger kids.......my friend told me a fue years ago.......boy, there are really alot of fat people around and I said really? he said look around and you know.........he's right LOOK around. i was really shocked i had not noticed it before but, he was right.........so get up america it will be hard if you haven't done it before but, you can to it with a little push........come on one, two, one, two.

Gerald Wood 5-21-2010 @ 8:54PM

Were not fragile, [health] based on workout history; This is false. The body has its own antioxidant system: (simple ver) 1), Glutathione, 2), SuperOxide Dismutase, 3), Catalase, 4), Methionine. The body uses Glutathione to hold the superoxide molecule in a static state, when Glutathione weakens, then the superoxide molecule begins to move and cause damage, (oxidation). To redirect the superoxide molecule, the body uses superoxide dismutase to breakdown & bond the O2 molecule with water, H20 by forming Hydrogen Peroxide H2O2, the body uses Catalase to breakdown this toxin back to O & H2O. If, were working out this free form Oxygen molecule can Bond to a broken form of water HO by forming OOH, this is called a Hydoxyl and is highly toxic. To Breakdown this form of Hydroxyl, the body uses L-Methionine. The problem is to make Methionine the body is dependent upon Sulphur. Why is this a problem: diet is a large influence to how much Sulphur we have inside our body & foods like Potatos & Beans, cookies, candy, soda, powered donuts use Sulphur to breakdown the food. What this mean inside the body is you have less Sulphur to make L-Methionine to breakdown Hydroxyls...this cycle nows refocuses the body to produce something else...The Induction of HomoCysteine, and this animal is a suspect in several crimes: heart attacks (The perfect health avid runner dies from heart attack), degradation of Collagen, amyloid plaque deposits on the brain...etc,etc,etc. If you dont know, you dont know. Two methods to decrease this problem: Soy Lecthin Granules & TriMethylGlycine.
As the body continues to make

bob 5-19-2010 @ 9:53PM

the stupids from AOL are actually trying to teach us something. this article is meant for the iq of under 50

ivyxiaoh 5-19-2010 @ 10:32PM

I prepare for my 50

ivyxiaoh 5-19-2010 @ 10:13PM

I lose my weight from 60kg to 51kg in five months.

tcraw10506 5-19-2010 @ 10:11PM

Why does there always have to be a certain way or thing you must do to live a long health life. Bull crap I say. Maybe I should write a book on how to do this. I'm 62 and look 42 and act 22.Yeah look at animals in the wild you do what it takes to survive.

Fred Weber 5-20-2010 @ 7:59AM

An article like this can be dangerous.

I had been a jogger for over 30 years. At age 60 I was no longer able to do this due to consistent overuse injuries.

When I read my first books on running, the author invariably gave some example of a woman who didn't take up running until she was 75 and won the Boston Marathon at age 80!. I exagerate but you get my point.

As we age, our bodies simply can no longer take the pounding that we gave them at age 35. The best advice I've gotten is to build up very slowly, take extra time off and instead of a hard easy schedule, do a hard, easy, easy schedule.

As for me, I am now walking an hour at a time, 5 days a week. I feel great and have no injuries.

Don in Reno 5-19-2010 @ 11:40PM

I just celebrated my 75th birthday with a 46 mile bike ride. My 73 year old partner and I commonly do 46 miles every weekend. I completed the 200 mile Seattle to Portland bike ride when I was 73, a year after open heart surgery to replace my aortic valve. You are only as old as you feel.

Ron Sarson 5-19-2010 @ 11:43PM

I play in a senior softball league of over 500 people. At 75 I take great pleasure in pinch running for the "youngsters" in their 60's.

TKD fan 5-20-2010 @ 12:15PM

I am 56 & have always been athletic.There was a time, however, in my 40s where I was not exercising or eating right. As expected, my health declined. At 50, I started Martial Arts training. I will tell you that because of TKDs heavy emphasis on cardiovascular strengthening & gaining flexibility...I reversed my physical condition. I no longer have back pain, a large gut, & have regained a strength that I have not felt in years. Like they always say; the secret folks to good health is really just diet & exercise...& sticking to it. And..you can not do one without the other...