You may not need to ache in middle age

[Laura Corin]

When I was 49, my joints would ache in the morning and my ankles would often collapse painfully when I got out of bed.

 

I'm about to turn 53 and I only ache when I have pushed my muscles; otherwise daily walks and two hours of yoga per week have banished the stiff and painful joints. YMMV, but just in case it helps...

[SKL]

Yay!  I need to get back into my yoga and walking routines.  :)

[Joyofsixreboot]

I agree. I'm 53, run and do yoga, and feel fine. My dh does nothing and is really having issues. Granted that's an n of one but it costs nothing to try activity to see if it helps.

[creekland]

We stay active here with walks and farm chores.  I've had too many medical problems for my personal quota (probably mostly related to each other), but joint aches/pains is not one of them - not even a little bit.  I'm quite pleased to still be able to walk for miles and find it enjoyable the day after.    :hurray:  We usually take the stairs in hotels rather than the elevator too - at least - up to the 8th floor or so.

 

(The powers that be had better be able to fix the ear issue I have that causes intense pain with light kayaking, or laundry, or gardening, or anything similar - 'cause there's going to be some massive personal issues if they can't.  My muscles/joints sure aren't a problem with any of that.  It's some sort of post radiation deal, the plentiful after effects of which has caused me to really regret agreeing to that treatment - not that there was really a choice though. :glare: )

[katilac]

Yoga was a tremendous help with my life-long back problems. I have fewer severe episodes now, at 50, than I did in my teens and twenties. 

 

And, believe it or not, the yoga I'm talking about is the one that came with our Wii fitness board! I'm sure I could do a lot more with a class or dedicated study, but just the Wii yoga was a tremendous help to me. 

 

Walking is something I have always done, so I know it was the yoga in particular for me. 

[KathyBC]

Yes!! 60 minutes of driving into the city was becoming painful, as my hips were not comfortable sitting for that long. After Zumba faithfully for the past few months, it dawned on me that this issue was no longer present. My posture has noticeably improved and standing for longer periods of time is more comfortable, too.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I cannot do yoga as it makes me have muscle spasms.  I know that you said that "you may not need to". . . but blanket statements do not apply to everyone.  It is  not my fault that I ache and I did not cause it by not moving.  I force myself to move every single day.  I have ached since my late teens. 

[J-rap]

Also, I cannot stress enough how much difference a good mattress makes!  A better mattress alone took away aches I was getting.

[LibraryLover]

Plus magnesium oil and tumeric.

 

Edited March 21, 2016 by LibraryLover

[dsmith]

Increasing my daily steps and Vitamin D have done wonders for my achy ankles and hips. I do have to be careful with my shoes or the plantar fasciitis acts up.

[Lady Florida.]

Definitely. I'm 60, and while my back pain is not a result of lack of exercise, exercising (properly) keeps it from getting worse. Moving my body regularly also helps keeps the rest of me feeling good. I can always tell when I've been to sedentary because I start to ache. Fortunately I don't let that happen often.

 

There are certain positions that will aggravate my back condition, but with modifications I can do yoga. Anyone with a chronic pain condition should check with their doctor before just deciding to exercise.

[KathyBC]

I cannot do yoga as it makes me have muscle spasms.  I know that you said that "you may not need to". . . but blanket statements do not apply to everyone.  It is  not my fault that I ache and I did not cause it by not moving.  I force myself to move every single day.  I have ached since my late teens. 

The word may does indeed make it no longer a blanket statement. And hugs to you, Jean in Newcastle. It is certainly not your fault.

[Jean in Newcastle]

The word may does indeed make it no longer a blanket statement. And hugs to you, Jean in Newcastle. It is certainly not your fault.

 

I'm sorry.  I really shouldn't have responded to this thread.  I am a bit touchy about this type of thing.  Yes,  moving and stretching helps bodies.  I think that's a pretty well established truth.  It helps me too.  It isn't a magic bullet, but it helps. 

 

[Laura Corin]

I'm sorry.  I really shouldn't have responded to this thread.  I am a bit touchy about this type of thing.  Yes,  moving and stretching helps bodies.  I think that's a pretty well established truth.  It helps me too.  It isn't a magic bullet, but it helps. 

 

 

It can be frustrating, can't it?  I had a virus eighteen months ago that destroyed my balance.  It has come back little by little, but I can only barely balance on one leg, so my yoga poses are very limited.  I'm not sanguine about avoiding falls in old age, but I hope that I can compensate a bit through flexibility and strength.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Laura Corin

[Pawz4me]

Apparently hypothyroidism was the cause of most of my aches.  I used to hurt a lot, no matter how much (or little) yoga and exercising I did.  After I was diagnosed and medicated almost all the aches disappeared.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I think Laura meant the aches we put down to aging and not health related issues. I realize many here are dealing with bigger health issues than what I like to term chronological advancement.

[Nan in Mass]

The combination of twice weekly yoga and walk every day keep me from aching, too. Every time life happens and I don,t do those two, all sorts of aches show up. And a few chronic things. I don,t walk far and the yoga is a very light, easy routine.

 

Hugs to those whose health won,t let them do even this much.

 

Nan

[leeannpal]

Laura, thanks for the tips about yoga. I do have fibromyalgia and deal with lots of aching and stiffness on some mornings. I know exercise is good for fibro, but we have to be careful to choose the right type and not overdo it. I think yoga might be a good fit.

[Laura Corin]

Laura, thanks for the tips about yoga. I do have fibromyalgia and deal with lots of aching and stiffness on some mornings. I know exercise is good for fibro, but we have to be careful to choose the right type and not overdo it. I think yoga might be a good fit.

 

Take it easy and try to find a class that calls itself 'gentle yoga' or 'restorative yoga' or similar.  Some yoga classes push things far and fast, which is not what you need.

[VinNY]

Any suggestions for a dvd that does gentle yoga or restorative yoga for at home use? And Laura do you do a twice weekly class or more often? 

[BlsdMama]

When I was 49, my joints would ache in the morning and my ankles would often collapse painfully when I got out of bed.

 

I'm about to turn 53 and I only ache when I have pushed my muscles; otherwise daily walks and two hours of yoga per week have banished the stiff and painful joints. YMMV, but just in case it helps...

No changes in diet or weight?

 

I ask because my knees are not great. :(  The left one, in particular, is awful.  I do think that one has to do with an old car accident.  (I'm also wondering about our new Memory Foam bed.  I think it wants to kill me.)

 

Thank you for sharing.  I've been thinking about taking up walking in the afternoons, especially with the weather getting nice.   

[sophiasapientia]

Any suggestions for a dvd that does gentle yoga or restorative yoga for at home use? And Laura do you do a twice weekly class or more often? 

 

Peggy Cappy, from PBS, has a "Yoga For the Rest of Us" series that is very good and gentle.  There are 3 different options to follow, including a seated one, depending on one's needs and limitations.  (I have an autoimmune connective tissue disease with an inflammatory arthritis component and am just getting into using these to help with pain and fitness.)  The DVDs are available on Amazon and/or the library might carry them.  

Edited March 21, 2016 by sophiasapientia

[Laura Corin]

No changes in diet or weight?

 

I ask because my knees are not great. :(  The left one, in particular, is awful.  I do think that one has to do with an old car accident.  (I'm also wondering about our new Memory Foam bed.  I think it wants to kill me.)

 

Thank you for sharing.  I've been thinking about taking up walking in the afternoons, especially with the weather getting nice.   

 

I lost thirteen pounds, but I wasn't that big before, so I don't think the reduced aches were weight-related.  My diet is roughly what it has mostly been: a good range of food cooked from scratch, with an emphasis on veg and whole grains.

 

ETA: if I don't do yoga for a couple of weeks, the aches start to come back, so I do think that stretching is the key for me.

 

Edited March 21, 2016 by Laura Corin

[Laura Corin]

Any suggestions for a dvd that does gentle yoga or restorative yoga for at home use? And Laura do you do a twice weekly class or more often? 

 

I just do two yoga classes a week.  The other days I just walk.  In summer I do a fair amount of work in the garden.  I don't have any gentle yoga DVD suggestions.

 

[klmama]

 Gentle Yoga is pretty good.  Jane Adams. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Another one that it is good especially for people who find yoga too grueling is Tai Chi.  It's good for minor aches.  You wouldn't think so because it is so low key, but I found it very helpful. 

 

 

 

[hornblower]

putting in a plug for one of my favourite yoga video sites - all free & almost all filmed in beautiful BC 

If they help you and you enjoy it, consider a subscription or making a payment but it's free if you cannot. 

Tons of videos at a variety of levels, all very high quality. They have many for beginners, lots of gentle & restorative yoga. 

https://www.doyogawithme.com/

[alisoncooks]

 Gentle Yoga is pretty good.  Jane Adams. 

 

I have this one and like it, especially the balance practice.

 

I also like Deep Stretch Yin Yoga - Mimi Solaire and Yoga for Stress Relief - Barbara Benagh.  These are more relaxing/restorative.

[Wheres Toto]

I love doing Tai Chi.  It's much better for me than yoga. 

 

I was really hoping to get back into regular Tai Chi and walks once I quit working full time.  Instead I badly twisted my ankle my first day home.  :crying:   It's been two weeks, it still aches enough to keep me up at night although I can walk on it fine.  I just noticed today that it's also still swollen and discolored.

[G5052]

Everyone is different of course.

 

I'm a use-it-or-lose it type. If I'm active, my pain level is low and my mobility is excellent. If I stop, I get wracked up and can barely move. I also notice that balance and coordination are affected. I still have weight to lose, but am far more active than I used to be. Saturday I had to carry a 50-pound box of frozen meat around the side of the house, down the hill, and then into my basement. I do this several times a year, and this time I noticed that I wasn't even breathing hard. Several years ago I couldn't do that at all.

 

I currently lift weights 3x a week, do Pilates/yoga in a class once a week, and do cardio 2x a week. This summer I need to do more cardio and do Pilates/yoga twice a week.

 

Frankly I don't really have the time and money, but I think at this point it's preventive medicine.

[Minerva]

When I was 49, my joints would ache in the morning and my ankles would often collapse painfully when I got out of bed.

 

I'm about to turn 53 and I only ache when I have pushed my muscles; otherwise daily walks and two hours of yoga per week have banished the stiff and painful joints. YMMV, but just in case it helps...

 

I also imagine spending time in your insanely beautiful garden has its benefits.

 

I just visited your blog and WOW! 

[Ellie]

Apparently hypothyroidism was the cause of most of my aches.  I used to hurt a lot, no matter how much (or little) yoga and exercising I did.  After I was diagnosed and medicated almost all the aches disappeared.

 

Same here. Also, while doing the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), I discovered that the small amount of dairy I was regularly consuming (cream in my tea, one cup in the morning, one cup in the evening) was causing my hands to ache.

Edited March 23, 2016 by Ellie

[KungFuPanda]

My theory is that the pain of being active is better than the pain of being inactive. I just spent the last week at a dance convention with twenty year old dancers. They're back at work today like nothing happened and I'm just exhausted and have fought off a nap all day :-/

[Mom22ns]

I do a lot of walking and it is hard on my back, but yoga is one of the very few things that actually reduces my back pain instead of increasing it. Biking makes my back hurt when I do it, but the pain decreases all the time (when I'm not on the bike) if I bike regularly. If I keep a consistent biking or yoga routine (one in summer one in winter) I have almost no back pain. For awhile, I was nearly debilitated by it before I found which types of exercise help!

[flyingiguana]

Cutting out soda has been hugely beneficial for me.  If I drink just a bit of it, my hands ache.  If I keep it up for a few days, everything else starts to ache too.  (I'd be really curious to know what it is about soda that's the issue)

 

A friend of mine found that cutting out milk helped her knees a lot.  But she's lactose intolerant.  That might be a clue that milk is an issue.

 

I've found that strengthening up the abdominal muscles has been a big help with my back issues.  But yoga just kills my wrists.  If I'm going to do something along those lines I have to find more "gentle" yoga positions.

 

And yeah, I'm weirdly in way better shape than I was in my 20's.  This is not what I expected.

[KathyBC]

 

I've found that strengthening up the abdominal muscles has been a big help with my back issues.  But yoga just kills my wrists.  If I'm going to do something along those lines I have to find more "gentle" yoga positions.

 

 

I was just talking to someone about something similar. She was complaining about the current emphasis on downward dog. She has bad shoulders. There are over 120+ yoga positions, but the down dog-craze makes attending classes hard for her.

[momacacia]

My dad went for a second, third opinion on his knee...post knee replacement. Anyway, one surgeon told him that he should be taking probiotics, vitamin D, a few other things and to read Grain Brain and get off grains. My mom was with him at the docs and I asked her if they had to peel her off the floor from shock for the great "alternative health" recommendations seeping in to try to save his old folk joints.

[Soror]

 

I've found that strengthening up the abdominal muscles has been a big help with my back issues.  But yoga just kills my wrists.  If I'm going to do something along those lines I have to find more "gentle" yoga positions.

 

And yeah, I'm weirdly in way better shape than I was in my 20's.  This is not what I expected.

One thing to help the wrists is folding the mat over in front for a little more padding. There is also the option to just do a different pose. When I first came back to classes after this baby I just let my teacher know that my abs were very weak so if a pose was too much I'd skip it or do something else. I still do that, like with child's pose, I hate child's pose- we are supposed to go into it for a rest after getting all hot and sweaty but that just makes me hotter so I just sit on my heels. A good teacher ought to be fine with you making modifications and even better if you let them know your limitations they will likely give some modifications as well. Of course obviously skip out on any classes labeled- flow- vinyasa-ashtanga- power but even gentle classes will often have some Sun Salutations or at the least Downward Dogs as they are easy to throw in poses into without other transitions.

[Laura Corin]

I had my Christmas present this week: a one-on-one hour with one of my yoga teachers.  I don't have wrist problems, but she said that most people take all their weight on their palms and should spread their fingers and take weight there.  To get used to it, she recommended starting on just finger tips in plank etc., then dropping down to full hand.

 

And yes, tell the teacher about areas of weakness and avoid ashtanga/vinyasa flow.  It's many years since I did a Hatha yoga class, but my memory is of one or two sun salutations then going into a series of asanas without wrist-heavy vinyasas between.

 

I immediately tell any new teacher about my balance problems so that they know that I will hold onto the barre or adapt.  If I was new to yoga, I would ask the teacher for help with adaptations.

[Lady Florida.]

I was just talking to someone about something similar. She was complaining about the current emphasis on downward dog. She has bad shoulders. There are over 120+ yoga positions, but the down dog-craze makes attending classes hard for her.

Yes, it really is important to check with your doctor if you have a specific issue. That sounds like a cya thing from yoga (and other exercise) instructors but it's really not.

 

It does seem to be a popular pose but for me forward bends such as downward dog are a no-no. However, there are so many possible positions that eliminating one type still leaves plenty of options.

[Laura Corin]

 

Re balance, tai chi is actually a superior form of exercise and hence, good for older people or anyone with osteopenia or osteoporosis - reduces the risk of falls. 

 

I've done tai chi a fair number of times but as I've never had any coordination, I just end up doing the wrong thing.  I never get the flow.  

[Laura Corin]

dp

Edited March 23, 2016 by Laura Corin

[Laura Corin]

 

[dirty ethel rackham]

Well, two hours of yoga would have me aching, for sure.  Actually 2 hours of any activity (even when I have been very fit) would have me aching.  I have permanent joint damage (ligament damage and osteoarthritis) as well as an autoimmune disorder that manifests itself in joint pain when it isn't well managed.

[IfIOnly]

Is yoga similar to stretching?  I feel so much better when I stretch a few times a week, but I'm wondering if yoga would be better? The stretching dvds I have are 45 min. to an hour long.

 

ETA: OP, when you mentioned doing 2 hours of yoga a week, is that total or per workout? 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2016 by ifIonlyhadabrain

[katilac]

Is yoga similar to stretching?  I feel so much better when I stretch a few times a week, but I'm wondering if yoga would be better? The stretching dvds I have are 45 min. to an hour long.

 

 

Yoga is far better for me as far as back pain is concerned, and honestly I rarely do it for more than 20 minutes. 

[Laura Corin]

Is yoga similar to stretching?  I feel so much better when I stretch a few times a week, but I'm wondering if yoga would be better? The stretching dvds I have are 45 min. to an hour long.

 

ETA: OP, when you mentioned doing 2 hours of yoga a week, is that total or per workout? 

 

That's per week, so total.  I take two one-hour classes.  

 

I don't know how it compares to stretching.  One of the things that I appreciate about yoga is that it combines flexibility and strength: I don't need to do separate strength exercises because I build muscle through holding and moving my own weight through various positions.  I don't know if there is a relationship between strength and aches or if it's the stretching that relieves them.

[Suzanne in ABQ]

Every time I see this post, I read it as "You may not need acne in the middle ages"

:laugh:

[Guest2]

So,glad you found something to help! Exercise is next on my list. Most of my pain is gone . I started taking more estrogen and that has made all of the difference ( already have progesterone rx). I gpfound that supplmental magnesium and rx vitamins were a bit helpful. I always feel better with water exercise.