Recuperative massage Trigger point therapy (fancy name for massage)is a common method for relieving chronic pain related to sports injuries. It is the most important tool in any athletes tool box; you might be surprised how many old nagging injuries can be dealt with just very simple massage techniques. But you need to do it the right way, the idea of massage is never to massage the pain area, instead the muscles surrounding it. Specifically, you need to find spots that are tender for pressure. These spots are so called trigger points, and massaging them can be a huge help to many musculoskeletal pain problems. (More information below) Joint health Supplements As we age joint cartilage starts to thin down and loose its elasticity. This can eventually cause pain as the bare bones starts to rub on each others. Nutrient called glucosamine can help to slow down this process and help to rebuild lost cartilage. Many of my weightlifting friends use it successfully and have gained additional mileages to their training years through it. Im not talking about training with those pink dumbbells here, but real heavy training. Aerobic exercise for cardiovascular health If you like training and you want to enjoy it as long as possible, you better keep your heart in shape too. Aerobic exercise, even though it hinders and limits the muscle building potential, becomes more important as we age, as it helps to promote heart health better than just lifting. Stretching for proper movement patterns Adding some extra stretching and joint mobility work to your training regime might be useful, especially if you arent doing exercises with full range of motion. - Some key muscle croups to stretch for proper lifting bio-mechanisms; glutes, hamstrings and psoas. And always remember that you arent really stretching muscle, but rather tricking your brains to command your muscles to lengthen. (get them used to new range of motion, and new movement patterns), so dont hinder this effect with overly painful stretches, but take it gentle instead. |
