OT: How do you old guys stay in competitive shape?

[Stinger92860]

People over the age of 60 aren't supposed to be in competitive shape.

B—-s—t lol

 

[Dogdeacon]

All good. I try to be as critical of my practice as pissible.

I do think static stretching has gotten a bad rep over the years for no reason.

Many trainers advocate using foam rollers or other deep tissue pressure pre-exercise to get everything loosened up and flowing. Enhances performance/benefits of exercise and reduces injury risk.
And for me there's no question if you have an injury or chronic injured area stretching helps.

 

[HurricaneDave]

You need to train for the specific demands of the sport. Many of the suggestions on here are very general and considering you are coming off a long layoff from athletic activities, general training (the swimming, biking, weights, etc.) will still be beneficial and should be incorporated into your training. However, if you exclusively do these activities, you won't necessarily prepare yourself to play softball without getting injured.

I recommend looking at the exact movements required in softball and devise a plan that incorpates all of those movements. For instance if you know you will have 5 at bats each game, prepare yourself to swing the bat and then run, just like you do in a game. Maybe right now it's at 50% effort but you slowly increase it over a period of months until you're at a level you feel comfortable with (maybe it's 80% effort because anything above is out of the question based on your age).

Apply the same principles to all other movements you do during a game (fielding, throwing) and slowly develop them throughout the year. Start with a number of throws you are comfortable with and slowly increase the number. There will be weeks when you need to back off and take fewer throws/swings or run less, but remember you may be 6-8 months from your first game. That's a lot of time to develop the movements.

Recovery is important. Think of how often you play games. Give yourself enough time, especially in the off season, for your body to start adapting to the demands you place on it. You may only need to run once per week. A few other days each week spend doing the general fitness activities (walking, swimming, biking) that don't exacerbate any sore/injured areas.

Use this time to also develop a warm up routine incorporating movements that will get you prepared to be moving as you will be required in games. This is very important. Research the movements. You may need to take 20-30 minutes to prepare your body but it will be worth it. Like everything else, you can increase the length of the warm up as your body gets in better condition. You don't want to rush through it, it's not the workout but a warm up to prepare you. It will start with general movements and proceed to more specific (specific to what you'll be doing on the softball field) as it nears completion. Your movements at the end of the warm up should be indistinguishable from the movement required during a game.

 

[uconnfan68]

Rocktheworld gave you the best advice. Get a prescription for testosterone. For $150/month you can shave off 15-20 years. I’m a big believer in hormone replacement as a way to age energetically and slowly. Testosterone should be standard fare along with baby aspirin for men over 50. I will be going for it when my time comes.

I have a friend that is 45 and got low T a bit early. Good looking guy, did mini triathlons regularly, very active. He hurt his back and had a few other muscle pulls etc that really slowed him down..... along with low libido. He gained about 30 lbs and felt like dying. He got testosterone replacement and it’s like he’s 30 again. He feels great and wakes up everyday ready to go. I haven’t tried it because I just don’t need it yet and once you start, there is the risk you won’t be able to stop because your body won’t make T anymore. I have every intention of starting sometime down the road. Don’t give in to the mainstream medicine bs. Enjoy your life and get it.

It might work in your 40s, but it doesn’t help much in late 50s-early 60s.

 

[storrsroars]

You need to train for the specific demands of the sport. Many of the suggestions on here are very general and considering you are coming off a long layoff from athletic activities, general training (the swimming, biking, weights, etc.) will still be beneficial and should be incorporated into your training. However, if you exclusively do these activities, you won't necessarily prepare yourself to play softball without getting injured.

I recommend looking at the exact movements required in softball and devise a plan that incorpates all of those movements. For instance if you know you will have 5 at bats each game, prepare yourself to swing the bat and then run, just like you do in a game. Maybe right now it's at 50% effort but you slowly increase it over a period of months until you're at a level you feel comfortable with (maybe it's 80% effort because anything above is out of the question based on your age).

Apply the same principles to all other movements you do during a game (fielding, throwing) and slowly develop them throughout the year. Start with a number of throws you are comfortable with and slowly increase the number. There will be weeks when you need to back off and take fewer throws/swings or run less, but remember you may be 6-8 months from your first game. That's a lot of time to develop the movements.

Recovery is important. Think of how often you play games. Give yourself enough time, especially in the off season, for your body to start adapting to the demands you place on it. You may only need to run once per week. A few other days each week spend doing the general fitness activities (walking, swimming, biking) that don't exacerbate any sore/injured areas.

Use this time to also develop a warm up routine incorporating movements that will get you prepared to be moving as you will be required in games. This is very important. Research the movements. You may need to take 20-30 minutes to prepare your body but it will be worth it. Like everything else, you can increase the length of the warm up as your body gets in better condition. You don't want to rush through it, it's not the workout but a warm up to prepare you. It will start with general movements and proceed to more specific (specific to what you'll be doing on the softball field) as it nears completion. Your movements at the end of the warm up should be indistinguishable from the movement required during a game.

Thanks for taking the time to post all that!

Oddly enough, this is fairly close to what I'm doing. In addition to back/core maintenance work I have specific exercises from my PT for keeping hips and groins loose so I can explode through the swing as well as throwing exercises with a band. I'm already back to hitting fine, so once I can throw well again, all that's left is working on speed... which I never had, lol.

 

[Dogdeacon]

You need to train for the specific demands of the sport. Many of the suggestions on here are very general and considering you are coming off a long layoff from athletic activities, general training (the swimming, biking, weights, etc.) will still be beneficial and should be incorporated into your training. However, if you exclusively do these activities, you won't necessarily prepare yourself to play softball without getting injured.

Great points and recommendations. That's exactly why I quit playing softball, after 5-ish years I wasn't motivated or interested enough to do the necessary work to get my game back up to where it once was. I think for a certain generation baseball/softball is the first or main sport we played, so moreso than other sports we assume we can get out of bed and re-start where we left off.

That & I didn't like the bang for your buck time v exercise benefits compared to other sports. Softball is more like golf, the camaraderie has to be a big part. Tying all in since I've only played golf casually I more easily recognize that if I want to play competitively I'd need to commit to dedicated training & instruction.

 

[storrsroars]

Great points and recommendations. That's exactly why I quit playing softball, after 5-ish years I wasn't motivated or interested enough to do the necessary work to get my game back up to where it once was. I think for a certain generation baseball/softball is the first or main sport we played, so moreso than other sports we assume we can get out of bed and re-start where we left off.

That & I didn't like the bang for your buck time v exercise benefits compared to other sports. Softball is more like golf, the camaraderie has to be a big part. Tying all in since I've only played golf casually I more easily recognize that if I want to play competitively I'd need to commit to dedicated training & instruction.

Yeah, it's camaraderie first, winning second for me - if these guys were all just old jocks trying to relive their 20s, it would be awful. Thankfully they're not - good mix of white/blue collar/retired and nobody orders light beer when we go out afterwards.

 

[husky429]

Many trainers advocate using foam rollers or other deep tissue pressure pre-exercise to get everything loosened up and flowing. Enhances performance/benefits of exercise and reduces injury risk.
And for me there's no question if you have an injury or chronic injured area stretching helps.

Again, just about everyone uses rollers. Kind of dumb not to, particularly for endurance athletes IMO. The movement seems to be towards post-exercise rolling now though.

But rolling is not a static stretch. That is the topic.

 

[Madmannsucks]

2 years ago, I was walking/running 7 miles a day, had quit smoking 2 1/2 years, used Bowflex Treadclimber 30 minutes 3 days a week, Push ups, competitive hoops(schoolyard) lost around 50 pounds...........oh well that was 2 years ago. Now I wish I still cared.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Again, just about everyone uses rollers. Kind of dumb not to, particularly for endurance athletes IMO. The movement seems to be towards post-exercise rolling now though.

But rolling is not a static stretch. That is the topic.

I thought the topic was how do you keep old bodies functioning
Then subtopics are what each person does
An example within the subtopic is in addition to exercise what is recommended for flexibility
A digression exploring the example of the subtopic is static vs ballistic vs AIS vs myofacial release etc...

So on the digression, when I take the roller or ball and just 'sit' on the problem area in my calf is that a static stretch or myofacial release or both!?

 

[husky429]

I thought the topic was how do you keep old bodies functioning
Then subtopics are what each person does
An example within the subtopic is in addition to exercise what is recommended for flexibility
A digression exploring the example of the subtopic is static vs ballistic vs AIS vs myofacial release etc...

So on the digression, when I take the roller or ball and just 'sit' on the problem area in my calf is that a static stretch or myofacial release or both!?

I believe that's myofacial release? Not entirely sure. Normally I'd ask my significant other (strength coach in DPT school), but she's on the war path currently haha

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I run (with my dog) 2 to 3 miles (including hills) 3 or so days a week and, due to knees suffering from too many years of soccer, hit my indoor rower for about 3,000 meters a few more days a week. Keeping-up with my very attractive wife (yes, I am biased) and my pre-teens and their sport teams is my motivation. For me, the problem has been work. I was pushing 10 to 12 hour days regularly for six or so months at work and scarified exercise to spend an extra hour with my family and to get in 6 hours of sleep. and quickly picked-up 25 lbs of garbage. I to drop that before Christmas.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I run (with my dog) 2 to 3 miles (including hills) 3 or so days a week and, due to knees suffering from too many years of soccer, hit my indoor rower for about 3,000 meters a few more days a week. Keeping-up with my very attractive wife (yes, I am biased) and my pre-teens and their sport teams is my motivation. For me, the problem has been work. I was pushing 10 to 12 hour days regularly for six or so months at work and scarified exercise to spend an extra hour with my family and to get in 6 hours of sleep. and quickly picked-up 25 lbs of garbage. I to drop that before Christmas.

Good luck, my 2 cents you didn't ask for is measure yourself regularly, maybe do one of those high-tech body composition assessments & that'll provide further motivation. I got one in April and it was a kick-start.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

I have a Garmin Vivoactive 3 ( My third Garmin )because I walk about 12,000 steps a day
I’m retired and our community has a indoor walking track on these hot Arizona summer days. I refuse to get up at 5AM .
The Garmin Connect App allows me to compete with people all over the world in weekly challenges. I’m a competitive guy.
It also monitors and reacts sleep, heart rate, stress levels, and other functions.
This week Im in a 95,000 step one . I walk over 4,000,000 steps a year. About 2,000 miles. I joke I put 2,000 miles a year on my car, my golf cart ,and my sneakers.
I choose Garmin over Fitbit or even Apple because it’s waterproof . I can sleep and jump in the shower without fear of frying it ,or even swim. It also records laps
They have made tremendous improvements to their Connect applications over the years .
It also links to the Weight Watcher application and others . I’m a lifetime WW member who has been at goal for 5 years. Exercise converts to Points which allow to to increase your daily allotment.
I also do moderate weight training
I love the elliptical but hate the treadmill.
I’m 75 years old

 

[storrsroars]

I have a Garmin Vivoactive 3 ( My third Garmin )because I walk about 12,000 steps a day
I’m retired and our community has a indoor walking track on these hot Arizona summer days. I refuse to get up at 5AM .
The Garmin Connect App allows me to compete with people all over the world in weekly challenges. I’m a competitive guy.
It also monitors and reacts sleep, heart rate, stress levels, and other functions.
This week Im in a 95,000 step one . I walk over 4,000,000 steps a year. About 2,000 miles. I joke I put 2,000 miles a year on my car, my golf cart ,and my sneakers.
I choose Garmin over Fitbit or even Apple because it’s waterproof . I can sleep and jump in the shower without fear of frying it ,or even swim. It also records laps
They have made tremendous improvements to their Connect applications over the years .
It also links to the Weight Watcher application and others . I’m a lifetime WW member who has been at goal for 5 years. Exercise converts to Points which allow to to increase your daily allotment.
I also do moderate weight training
I love the elliptical but hate the treadmill.
I’m 75 years old

But can you play shortstop?

 

[Rocktheworld]

Again, just about everyone uses rollers. Kind of dumb not to, particularly for endurance athletes IMO. The movement seems to be towards post-exercise rolling now though.

Yeah I was doing both pre- and post-workout when it started becoming popular and I wanted to start loosening up what had become chronically tight. For me, once my flexibility improved using rolling and stretching, I could maintain my flexibility with just stretching. I only really roll now when I can tell something is tightening up and I need essentially a massage (which is basically what rolling is AFAIK)

 

[husky429]

Yeah I was doing both pre- and post-workout when it started becoming popular and I wanted to start loosening up what had become chronically tight. For me, once my flexibility improved using rolling and stretching, I could maintain my flexibility with just stretching. I only really roll now when I can tell something is tightening up and I need essentially a massage (which is basically what rolling is AFAIK)

Good way to put it. I really recommend cupping too.

I'm younger, but I have an injury history. My back and shoulder will get so tight that I can't reach for a rebound or bend over to pick up the ball sometimes. Massages can make that stop when it gets bad for maybe 3 weeks. Cupping was more like 3 months the 2x I've had it done. Changed my life.

Don't let the marks scare ya'll off. It really doesn't hurt. Just like a big hickey or something

 

[Rocktheworld]

Good way to put it. I really recommend cupping too.

I'm younger, but I have an injury history. My back and shoulder will get so tight that I can't reach for a rebound or bend over to pick up the ball sometimes. Massages can make that stop when it gets bad for maybe 3 weeks. Cupping was more like 3 months the 2x I've had it done. Changed my life.

Don't let the marks scare ya'll off. It really doesn't hurt. Just like a big hickey or something

The only thing that makes me apprehensive is what can happen if someone screws it up. I haven’t tried, but would have to make absolutely sure some given person is an expert

 

[husky429]

The only thing that makes me apprehensive is what can happen if someone screws it up. I haven’t tried, but would have to make absolutely sure some given person is an expert

There are certifications that people can get.

And I don't really think it would be THAT big of a deal if someone messed up, honestly. It's hard to explain what it is exactly. It's kind of just like a reverse massage. The worst thing that's going to happen is some discomfort, or they miss the sport that is really the issue. I'd say it's significantly less risky than a chiropractor.

 

[Rocktheworld]

There are certifications that people can get.

And I don't really think it would be THAT big of a deal if someone messed up, honestly. It's hard to explain what it is exactly. It's kind of just like a reverse massage. The worst thing that's going to happen is some discomfort, or they miss the sport that is really the issue.

I believe the sucking motion literally pulls individual muscle fibers apart, not only loosening them through that but encouraging increased blood flow to the area (hence the bruising)

I'd say it's significantly less risky than a chiropractor.

Lol quite the concession there!

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Swim at the Y close to work. Opens at 6, swim for an hour, shower and head to work. Walk whenever possible, take stairs. Workout with dumbbells down in the basement.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Really late here but for years I did little exercise and what I did was either “cardio” fast walk or elliptical and lifting on Nautilus or Cybex.

Recently I shifted gears. Bought a medicine ball and I’m using dumbbells and a bench plus battle ropes. Doing workouts from YouTube and they are kicking my butt. More importantly they are hitting the small stabilization muscles in my knees, shoulders and hips plus my core. My back feels better, my posture is better and I’m adding muscle while weight holds steady.

If I can manage my food and alcohol better I think pounds will drop and what is underneath will be better than it has been in years. But what really jumps out at me is that unlike my ineffective cardio/lifting these movements feel athletic. They involve ranges of motion and balance. I’m enjoying exercise really for the first time.

 

[Mano]

I believe that's myofacial release? Not entirely sure. Normally I'd ask my significant other (strength coach in DPT school), but she's on the war path currently haha

You usually ask your significant other about myofacial release? That's cool.

 

[Mano]

Keeping-up with my very attractive wife (yes, I am biased)

@Spartacus What's the rule on this again?

 

[husky429]

You usually ask your significant other about myofacial release? That's cool.

She's a fitness nerd. Yells at me all the time about my pizza consumption. Thanks 'yard.

Gives good massages though

 

[alphasigko]

[QUOTE="So what's you're secret for limbering up to play competitive sports at at least a competent level once you're past 60? What should I be doing this off season to prepare for next year?[/QUOTE]

I am going to be 69 in 2 weeks and am still in pretty decent shape. During the winter I still ski black and some double black mogul runs albeit not as fast as I used to and would like to. I keep in shape by playing 1 to 2 hours of pretty competitive racquetball (B/C level) two to 3 evenings a week. I also lift weights regularly. The RB is great cardio training, especially in singles games. So, go join a club that has RB courts, get a racquet, a glove, and protective eye-wear, and start playing! You will be happy you did!

 

[Jaker]

Define what age is old???

 

[storrsroars]

Define what age is old???

Eligible for senior citizen discounts.

 

[Kitaman]

I live for tomorrow.

Tomorrow I will start exercising.
Tomorrow I will eat better.
Tomorrow I will go for walks with my wife.
Tomorrow I will begin a weight loss regiment.

Today I live in hope.

 

[the Q]

[QUOTE="So what's you're secret for limbering up to play competitive sports at at least a competent level once you're past 60? What should I be doing this off season to prepare for next year?

I am going to be 69 in 2 weeks and am still in pretty decent shape. During the winter I still ski black and some double black mogul runs albeit not as fast as I used to and would like to. I keep in shape by playing 1 to 2 hours of pretty competitive racquetball (B/C level) two to 3 evenings a week. I also lift weights regularly. The RB is great cardio training, especially in singles games. So, go join a club that has RB courts, get a racquet, a glove, and protective eye-wear, and start playing! You will be happy you did!

Racquetball is awesome. So much fun, but with all the cutting and quick start/stops I’m amazed it’s an “old” persons game.