Baby Boomers continue to be active in recreational sports, and the injuries keep coming. Two of the biggest risks in recreational sports are cycling and basketball. The intensity of basketball, with jumping, running and impact with hard surfaces reeks havoc on the skeletal system, specifically the knee and hip joints. Cycling brings in the element of falls or other accidents. Doctors encourage cardio, but recommend low impact activities such as swimming, water aerobics and so on, Injuries heal slower do to aging process and weakened or sluggish immune systems.
Key Takeaways:
- Between 1991 and 1998 the amount of sports related injuries rose higher for folks in the boomer category.
- Although aging bodies can heal as thoroughly as younger ones, they will usually take far longer to do it.
- A decrease in hormones may explain in part why older people do not heal as well as younger ones.
“A weakening immune system as people age may also play a role, as may a decrease in blood flow and changes in the wound-healing “cascade” that is set off by injury.”
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/booming/baby-boomer-injuries-heal-more-slowly.html