AIBU to feel worried about fitness and strength after repeated injuries?

[Neighbourmystery]

I've gone through a few months of niggling injuries and as a consequence I'm feeling old stiff and worried about future health etc
It started with a trapped nerve in my back which took about a month to get back to normal then a painful hip after over compensating during the bad back. Then I had a back to normal period but now I have a twisted ankle from falling over which is making my back sore again. I feel like I'm on this roundabout of stiff worried physical movement. It's making me feel old and worried about onwards strength (I'm mid 50s) if you are fit and strong, how do you do it? I'm missing my walking and I am going to start strength training- anything else I can do?

Are you me?

This is pretty much me, except there has been years of it - different injuries. Age has meant I injure quickly and recover very slowly. Now mid 50s and feel permanently stiff and sore. Very pissed off.

If anyone has tips, be pleased to hear them too.

PS. there is a fitness board I think that this thread might be better off in, you could ask HQ to move this thread.

I found stiffness and muscle aches and pains were my biggest driver to going on HRT and they were coupled with endless small injuries and pulled muscles etc. Since going on HRT I haven't found I injure so easily. I only started weights and strength training 7 months ago but loving it.

As you age you need to work on your strength more in order for your body not to break down. You can’t just enjoy being able to do the same things you used to without considerable effort being made with weights etc from your mid 40s onwards. Tedious I know. I’m a cyclist. I need to do so much more strength work than I used to to make my body do the most basic of things.

i'm nearing 50 and noticed this. i'm already active as i do a lot of walking and hiking. i started strength training a couple of months ago and also do daily stretches first thing in the morning when i get up. my strength and balance are both better and i'm more flexible. ai has been handy for helping me understand which exercises i needed to do and pointing me to websites which were easy to follow.

I'm older (early sixties). I took up yoga again 2.5 years ago after 20 years of doing nothing but walking. It has been life-changing for me. I practise one-to-one with a teacher. She has healed and strengthened my sprained wrist, rehabilitated a knee injury and works consistently to improve mobility and ease pain in my dodgy hip and shoulder. Balance is critical to ageing well and preventing falls. Yoga has improved my balance, my flexibility and I'm stronger than I've been in years.

I had this in my late 40s early 50s. Having always been really active and doing a physical job I just assumed I could get away with staying young forever.
Now in my 60s and feel fitter and stronger than I did back then. I have a series of stretches and strength building exercises (I have a few weights at home) that I do without fail every day. It takes me about 20 minutes and has transformed things. Edited to say - If I don't do my stretch etc routine for a day or two, perhaps because I'm travelling - I REALLY notice the difference.

I also swim in the sea nearly every day and walk or cycle everywhere I can.

Another thing that really helped was seeing a podiatrist. She gave me exercises and orthotics for my shoes which have transformed my gait and stopped all the back, foot, hip and leg pain I was having. I can't recommend doing this highly enough. A few friends I've told about this have also said it was transformative.

I lift weights and do HIT as my cardio component,
i have to stretch using a reformer at least once a week. I also use a red light and near infrared panel for any remaining joint/muscle aches.
Stretching using the bed , and the panel have massively reduced my aches and pains and enabled me to remain injury free.

I was built niggly, but I'm picking up injuries that are disrupting me for longer since getting into my 40s. It's so frustrating because consistency is a great thing but they keep getting in the way of consistency.

I'm on another back to basics recovery. So bloody tedious. And my brain is so bloody loud at night because I can't burn off the energy in the daytime.

This is so helpful thank you
How did you find the stretching routine?

I go to strength building classes twice a week with a physio now l am in my 60s. A huge focus there as well as strength is balance. That's what helps with falls, sudden movements etc. There is lots you can do but l would suggest a class as it keeps you motivated and you realise there are areas you never thought were important.

I'm so glad it's helpful. The exercises came from a combination of sources. I injured my neck and the physiotherapist gave me some exercises and the podiatrist gave me a series of exercises too, both of which I've kept up.

Also, I bought a book called Gardener' Yoga:40 Poses To Help Your Garden Flow by Veronica D'Orazzio. It's a really easy, pretty book and the exercises are seasonal (to suit the garden year)so you don't do the same thing all the time or all the exercises at once.

My body started breaking down at 45, i do youa,swimming and circuits, i will stop circuits and usd machines as ive just twisted my anckle.
Trying to improve my diet which is long slow progress.

If you're stiff and recovering from a lot of little injuries, you might want to try Qi Gong or Tai Chi.

Yes, this is one of the things that really worries me about our health system-takes them ages to do scans, and in the meantime, you're told to do nothing in case you make the injury worse, and then when you finally get seen, you get very little physio quickly, so you end up far worse, taking lots of time off work and normal life etc.
There are some super fit 70 year olds, but a lot of people follow all the diet exercise advice, yet due to injuries as you describe, just aren't able to do these things.
Unless the health service improves, I don't know what the answer is, maybe go private, but most of us can't afford that.