Hi, I'm Bill and I'm an old guy. There I admitted it....first of the twelve steps, right? A little back round, I'm 53, 6'2", 210 lbs, and have played some kind of sport pretty seriously my whole life. Currently, I have no injuries which prevent me from working out and playing basketball, which I enjoy the hell out of. However, for the past few years I've watched my basketball buddies drop out with an assortment of pretty serious injuries, hip replacements, ACL tears, knee replacements,etc. Almost all of these things have left them with seriously diminished quality of life issues, in my opinion. None of them can do anywhere near what the used to do physically. Here's the question, "Should I preemptively give up basketball now to avoid injury, and avoid becoming an old guy with a limp?" I can still work out and do low impact cardio like rowing or biking, just have to find a different excuse to get out of the house for a beer once a week. Longer term I might be better off....short term I'll likely be bored. Any suggestions?
__________________ 'I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. ' ~Frank Sinatra
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher,
smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
__________________ 'I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. ' ~Frank Sinatra
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher,
smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
working out and playing basketball, which I enjoy the hell out of.
As far as I'm concerned you've answered your own question. I clean, squat, deadlift weekly for no reason other than I love it and will do it until I'm no longer able. Don't deny yourself something you love because of what might happen
I'm not thinking of stopping lifting. It's the basketball, which I do love, that has me a little concerned. Maybe the lifting is the reason I'm still healthy?
__________________ 'I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. ' ~Frank Sinatra
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher,
smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
B: You like to play sports, you do it regularly and you have your whole life. Giving it up would be giving up a part of what makes you happy. Who wants that?!
C: Listen to your body. If you think you might actually be setting yourself up for injury, don't push through it. Take a step back and make sure you're OK.
D: Continue doing full body exercising so you have a nice strong physical base. If you *just* played ball occasionally then you'd be at a higher risk than you really are. Working at a good level consistently while maintaining that over all level of fitness you should be OK.
__________________ 'I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. ' ~Frank Sinatra
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher,
smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
I treat forum posts like meetings w\ subordinates. Begin and end on a negative. That way no one gets too much of the warm and fuzzy. Gotta keep ya'all sharp and focused.
On a serious note. Weight "is" a big deal. Mainly on the "overuse injury" side of the coin.
Thanks for the input Tony. I understand the weight thing.....down about 20 pounds from the fat old days five years ago.
__________________ 'I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. ' ~Frank Sinatra
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher,
smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
Keep playing. If your fears become reality, there's always wheelchair basketball.
That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid and I don't want to be the old guy nobody wants on their team. You know the guy.....doesn't run the court, play defense or rebound. I hate that guy. What's he saving himself for.......walking on the beach in his retirement?
Another thought I've had is, that guys who played sports seriously when younger tend to carry some injury baggage into their middle age. I don't see many former college athletes out running around the neighborhood training for that half marathon. It's people who got into fitness at a later age. Their joints aren't all screwed from playing football back in the day when if the bone didn't break the skin, you weren't really hurt.
I'll be playing in September, albeit with fewer old friends. Maybe medical science can move faster than I can.
__________________ 'I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. ' ~Frank Sinatra
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher,
smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
Another thought I've had is, that guys who played sports seriously when younger tend to carry some injury baggage into their middle age. I don't see many former college athletes out running around the neighborhood training for that half marathon. It's people who got into fitness at a later age. Their joints aren't all screwed from playing football back in the day when if the bone didn't break the skin, you weren't really hurt.
That's exactly true. Bill Hartman has mentioned that our bodies can adapt to handle amazing work capacity, but it's not infinite. At some point, the law of diminishing returns kicks in and there are only so many squats/deads/basketball games in our bodies.
I used up a lot of mine early in life with collegiate athletics. This isn't a "give up" attitude or an excuse. It just means that I've had serious shoulder injuries, two knee dislocations, a hip dislocation, severe ankle sprains and broken bones, all before age 21 and all due to intense sports competition. Those things can be rehabbed and trained around, but at age 60 I won't be as athletic as I was at age 18. And at age 90 I probably won't be playing baseball at all, though there will certainly be other activities I can still enjoy at that age.
Let me ask you this way -- would you expect to be playing the same high level of basketball at age 80? If not, then your issue isn't with the concept of age impacting activity choices. You just don't think you're the right number yet.
My suggestion is to start exploring something new that you might be able to "enjoy the hell out of", while still playing basketball too. Have the next steps in progress and ready to go when the time comes.
__________________ Megaloi -- My Blog
"Every society honors its live conformists and its dead troublemakers."
- Mignon McLaughlin
Have you considered bowling? You can drink beer while you play.
Seriously, I think the people responding are right. Play as long as you enjoy it (including the "don't want to be Kareem" thoughts) and plan something now for when you choose to make a change.
I decided to give up team sports in my late 30s for the exact reasons you cited (i.e. I saw friends going down with ACL tears, shoulder separations, etc). In team sports, while you can control what you do, you can't always predict what others will do. It's great for regular conditioning and general fitness but you do run a high risk of traumatic injury. In my younger days socialized medicine (I live in Canada) would have an ACL repair scheduled within 3 months. Today....maybe 3 years (imagine what this would do to my fitness routine).
__________________ 'I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. ' ~Frank Sinatra
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher,
smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
You are finally talking about things that can keep you healthy and active long into your twilight years.
I defy anyone to find a native culture whose diet consists mainly of grubs and worms, where they are not in great physical condition.
The natives can eat grubs and fight all warring clans long into our typical retirement age. No bowling there.
While not good for dental health, they can run the length of South America at a good clip, fight through the jungle to 'harvest' honey from wild bees, climb barefoot up 50 foot tall trees, and be stung approx 74 times for one handful of the precious golden honey nectar.
I am something of an expert on this . . . I watch the Discovery Channel a LOT!
__________________
***********************
If you weren't born drop dead gorgeous, be thankful for the opportunity to develop character first.
Lose the spare weight and get as strong as possible to limit the amount of pounding your joints take on the court. Among people I've trained I think the injury rate between basketball and yoga are about the same, and higher than other sports, but there are more factors involved there too.
I'd say keep playing as long as you feel good and you'll likely be fine.
Of course I had to stop jiujitsu due to compounding injuries so... I could probably do it now but would rather be able to enjoy other sports, and walk, too. Risk vs. reward.
__________________
Working "hard," or the perception of working hard, doesn't really mean anything. Sweating, vomiting, and breathing hard could be a good workout or a tropical disease kicking in.-Dan John
I believe that age is just a number, but if you are tired of playing all the time and think your muscles are getting to a point where they are about to give out on you, then you can retire. If you have no pains and you feel good and take care of yourself, then keep playing and you will be ok. Its all up to you and don't let age stop you from doing what you want to do. I heard about a guy in age 50's had 1 more year of elgibility left in college football and played his last year in the age 50's.
Its all about staying in shape, not getting lazy, stretching, massaging anything thats tight, and keeping loose. It's also about how you feel mentally as well. If you want, you can move to slowpitch softball and there will be less chance of injury. You are not required to slide in slowpitch or dive and no one will get mad at you if you get out or make an error. You play however you want to play and do whats best for you. Don't let age stop you from doing what you love. Its about how you feel and what you know your body can still handle. Don't be thinking about just because you are in your 50's, you will end up getting injured. It does not work that way. If you think too much, that will get you injured. If you go past your level of play (trying to do something you know you cant do), then that will get you injured as well. It does not hurt just playing ball for fun. You don't have to run in a pile of guys trying to get the rebound if you don't want to. No one will get mad at you if its just playing for fun. Yes u wanna be aggressive, but no u are older and do not want to get injured
Keep in mind that the people that get injured try to go past their limit. For example..if you are doing the hamstring stretch and you cannot touch your toes and then try to force it, what will happen? you can pull your hamstring or tear a tendon or ligament. Don't let age stop you from your dreams and what you like to do. People can be successfull at anything any age. I hate when people say "age does matter, or this person retired because of age". its because they are burnt out pysically and mentally after playing so many years and want to go onto something else and their muscles cannot handle the pressure they used to handle after so many years. Nothing lasts forever. Like a belt on the treadmill and a car..it can only last so long before you have to replace it. same thing goes with our joints.
Bill,
It's something you love to do. Why would you want to quit? We all have fears of injury. I cannot say that I don't think of it just about every time I position myself for a deadlift. We cannot let our fears dictate our lives.
__________________ In Fitness & Friendship, MAHLER
______________________________ __________________________ There is no light at the end of the tunnel. You carry the light with you.
If you want, you can move to slowpitch softball and there will be less chance of injury. You are not required to slide in slowpitch or dive and no one will get mad at you if you get out or make an error.
I have to disagree with that. Slowpitch involves a whole lot of standing around with occasional bursts of speed mixed in to either field a ball or trying to beat a ground ball to first base. For someone in their 50's, the chances of injury are fairly high.
At least in basketball the bursts of speed are mixed in with light running so you would not be sprinting on cold legs.
__________________
I want to be pushing weights when I'm 70 instead of a walker in an old folk's home.
Hell, the 4" height increase is twice my vertical.
__________________ 'I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. ' ~Frank Sinatra
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher,
smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
I have to disagree with that. Slowpitch involves a whole lot of standing around with occasional bursts of speed mixed in to either field a ball or trying to beat a ground ball to first base. For someone in their 50's, the chances of injury are fairly high.
At least in basketball the bursts of speed are mixed in with light running so you would not be sprinting on cold legs.
how can you sprint on cold legs if you warm up before you play ball? no one I know sprints on cold legs and they "always" do some type of stretching and jogging before the game.
You are finally talking about things that can keep you healthy and active long into your twilight years.
I defy anyone to find a native culture whose diet consists mainly of grubs and worms, where they are not in great physical condition.
The natives can eat grubs and fight all warring clans long into our typical retirement age. No bowling there.
While not good for dental health, they can run the length of South America at a good clip, fight through the jungle to 'harvest' honey from wild bees, climb barefoot up 50 foot tall trees, and be stung approx 74 times for one handful of the precious golden honey nectar.
I am something of an expert on this . . . I watch the Discovery Channel a LOT!
how can you sprint on cold legs if you warm up before you play ball? no one I know sprints on cold legs and they "always" do some type of stretching and jogging before the game.
And then you stand in the outfield or sit on the bench for a half hour waiting for something to happen.....sorry baseball bores me.
__________________ 'I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day. ' ~Frank Sinatra
WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may create the illusion that you are tougher,
smarter, faster and better looking than most people.
how can you sprint on cold legs if you warm up before you play ball? no one I know sprints on cold legs and they "always" do some type of stretching and jogging before the game.
Of course you should warm up before the game...but there is a lot of down time during the game and it is way too easy for your muscles get cold after 2 innings of not fielding a ball and sitting on the bench.
Many people think slow pitch is easy because of all the down time, but throw in a few short hard bursts of speed after a half hour of inactivity that's when people get hurt. I play in a 40+ league and people pull hamstrings and Achilles all the time.
__________________
I want to be pushing weights when I'm 70 instead of a walker in an old folk's home.
When I am in the outfield or on the bench, I am not in one spot. I always move around. If I don't, I get stiff. In the outfield, I am always moving with every pitch. I play left center, so its easier for me to see where the pitch is being thrown and I move accordingly so that I can be in the right spot to get the ball. I never stand around. Plus in the league I am in, we are 5 girls and 5 guys, so whenever the girls are up, we always play shallow. None of us are ever standing around in the outfield. Also if we have too many girls one game and I sit 1 inning, I am always moving around and chearing everyone on. I don't just sit on the bench and wait. This is something you should think about when playing. It will also help you be in the right position to field the ball so you wont be in the wrong place.
hold on, so all the training you do for softball is for a 10 fielder co-ed slow pitch softball league?
not just that, for overall strength as well and to help me lift better working at ralphs as well. I am a bagger. Also I am training for fastpitch for next summer as well.
a lot of really good hitters in slowpitch go to the weightroom and thats how they get power..and a lot of batting practice
Help Out an Old Guy
Linear Mode
