Older Athletes: Is It time To Let Go Of The Need To Win?

It is not unusual to read articles about older athletes training mightily for big races or even marathon events, but by-in-large our aging bodies don’t look kindly on this kind of treatment.

 

It may be time to focus more on keeping the heart rate lower, cutting back at the first sign of pain, or just being satisfied to finish the race.  Kevin Helliker (The Wall Street Journal. September 1, 2009) wrote about letting go of the need to win, and he seemed to be speaking from personal experience.  He recommended ditching the notion of competing against anyone else or even yourself, and admitting that those times may truly be behind you.

 

Every magazine out there runs articles on the need for Americans to get more exercise, but there isn’t much guidance about how to cut back.  As baby boomer enter their 50s and 60s, their competiveness is being threatened by stiffening joints, rigid muscles, fragile bones and just plain wear and tear.  Nobody wants to acknowledge that exercise in its own right is not the sole fountain of youth.

 

The no pain, no gain mentality basically suggests that you can keep making gains if you just work harder.  Unfortunately this is no longer true.  Exercise is the best thing that you can do to keep yourself active and able, but you cannot fight age with just more hours on the treadmill.  Older athletes struggling against declining performances are prone to excess training, although experts are coming to believe that extreme exercise can actually increase the body’s vulnerability.

 

If you can’t let up on the competitive part you will grind yourself into the ground.  You will become stressed out, bitter and unhealthy.  For the aging athletes, it is loss of prowess that can lead to either abandoning exercise all together or trying to double up in pursuit of what can never be recaptured. Of course, well all know that exercise can provide protection against many chronic ailments, but like any other medical treatment, it can also cause damage.  Over-use injuries increase with age.

 

The competitive flame is hard to extinguish but when your doctor tells you to ease up a little it is time to rethink your whole fitness program.  Keep exercising, but listen to your body and embrace the idea of doing something new.  Taking on new sports challenges can give long overused muscles a break, while feeding the desire to reach for new goals.   Try out a new sport and enjoy the learning process, the socialization, and the thrill of mastering something new.

Comments

[Gene]

Started running @ 56 Now I love the challenge. No goals are no fun.

[Fit Click]

It is never time to let go of that need to win. The drive to succeed is essential to life, not just athletics. Even if you are not competing, that characteristic is still important.