Age 40 to 50 is the degenerative decade: how to delay the process
, by Rhys George, 4 min reading time
As you get older, you’ll notice that activities that were once easy for you to bounce back from are much more difficult – even if you like keeping fit. If you’re in the age 40 to 50 bracket, you probably won’t be overly surprised to learn that you’re in your “degenerative decade.” This is the decade when signs of “wear and tear” start to show. You might notice that your knees are aching a lot more after going for a run, you take longer to recover after exercise, and that general aches and pains are a regular occurrence. Naturally, wear and tear means you’re more susceptible to injury, and getting older means that things take much longer to heal than before. Here’s everything you need to know about being in your degenerative decade and what steps to take to slow the process down and prevent injury.
The degenerative decade: wear and tear and declining muscle mass
Wear and tear is a term that’s used to describe gradual wearing down, deterioration, or damage to joints, tissues, and muscles in the body over time. It happens naturally as part of the ageing process and can occur due to repeated stress and strain on the areas it affects.
On top of this, age-related muscle loss or sarcopenia is a natural part of getting older, and this starts much earlier than the degenerative decade. From the age of 30, the body begins to lose between three and eight percent of muscle mass per decade. This rate increases after 60, with most men losing around 30 percent of their muscle mass in their lifetime. All of this can directly affect your mobility, strength, recovery, and energy levels.
Staying fit and healthy during the degenerative decade
The stats are jarring, but the good news is that you can do things to help delay the degenerative process to prevent big injuries when exercising and staying fit.
Focus on strengthening and maintaining muscle mass
Age-related muscle loss can have a big impact on your strength and mobility, making you more at risk of picking up an injury. To combat this, focusing on strengthening exercises to maintain muscle mass and bone density is an important step. Stronger muscles can help relieve pressure on your joints, reducing pain and inflammation.
Any exercise that makes your muscles work harder than usual is classed as a strength exercise, and it can be done using your body weight or with resistance. Examples of strength exercises include weight training, working with resistance bands, and bodyweight exercises such as squats, sit-ups, push-ups, and yoga. Working to maintain your muscle mass can make exercise easier and slow down the rate of muscle loss as you age.
Be sure to warm-up and cool-down properly
A proper warm-up and cool-down routine is vital as you get older. A warm-up focusing on dynamic stretches, joint mobility exercises, light cardio, and gradually building up to the intensity you’ll be working out at is crucial for preparing your body for exercise and preventing injury by loosening up tight muscles and increasing your circulation.
Equally important is cooling down properly after exercise, as this lays the foundation for recovery. As well as slowly bringing your heart rate down to a normal level, a cool-down helps relieve muscle cramping by removing lactic acid buildup and lowering your chance of injury and experiencing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
Don’t underestimate the power of flexibility and stretching
Staying flexible is important for keeping your joints moving so you can do the exercise you need to without getting injured. Stretching helps keep your muscles and tendons supple and reduces the risk of sprains and strains. This is especially important if you are an active person, as it keeps your body primed for exercise.
Use compression
Wearing compression sleeves like our Bearhug ones during and after exercise is important in helping you stay injury-free and active during the wear and tear years. Our compression sleeves boost blood flow, driving oxygenated blood to your muscles and tendons to help reduce inflammation and aid your recovery. Depending on where you need to use compression, they bring warmth and support to the area, which helps prevent strains, reduce muscle fatigue, and lower aches and pains associated with exercise.
The degenerative decade is no joke, and it makes sense that your body gets worn out over time. This decade doesn’t have to be one that you dread, but by following the advice in our blog, you can delay its onset and prevent serious injuries from happening that could hold you back from reaching your full potential.
