Getting older.

[Kicks]

I'm 47 and have arthritis in both my big toes from being broken and jammed so many times. I've have an AC (shoulder)-seperation. I also have bad knees. In a couple of months I'll have to have surgury on my nose to fix it from being broken a few times. It's causing me to have obstructive sleep apnea causing me to stop breathing when I'm at sleep.

I do everything I can to take care of my aggrivations so I can continue to train, and it was hard for me to finally accept the fact that HAVE to listen to my body and back off when necessary. Right now I'm fighting off an infection and can't train. It's going to be tught getting back up to speed, but I'm determined to do so.

I'm also facing another quandary. My 12 year old daughter is very involved in competing in WTF Olympic style sparring. She absoultely loves it and has dreams of being on the US Olympic in 2012. However, lately she's been saying her knees bother her. I would love to see her continue towards her dream but I don't want her to suffer for it the rest of her life. She competing in the AAU Jr Olympics this summer so she doesn't want to stop training. I don't quit know what to do.

[Meguro]

I'm also facing another quandary. My 12 year old daughter is very involved in competing in WTF Olympic style sparring. She absoultely loves it and has dreams of being on the US Olympic in 2012. However, lately she's been saying her knees bother her. I would love to see her continue towards her dream but I don't want her to suffer for it the rest of her life. She competing in the AAU Jr Olympics this summer so she doesn't want to stop training. I don't quit know what to do.

Could be growing pains or it could be her training. Probably best to consult a physician. Don't want to take any chances with your child.

For everyone else, I've found the best tonic for getting older is training smarter. Pay more attention to strength training, stretching and aerobic/anearobic fitness, and rest. Nothing like a good night's sleep and time-off for the weary limbs and creaky joints. Eat right. Keep the extra weight off and you should be in business for a little while longer.

[Sam]

I know im only young (19) but ive broken both my knees 3 times each, so i get a lot of problems with these, similar to what a lot of the older guys i train with experience, and the best thing ive found for it is resistance training to increase the muscle strength supporting the joint you have problems with; butl ike i said im young so i dont really know how this would work on damage caused by wear....

Good luck to your daughter Kicks and hope her knees dont hold her back

[UpTheIrons]

I'm 36, and feel as good or better than I did at 26. I have as much energy, kick and punch as strong, and overall feel as good as I always have. I never have days when I feel "old", just days when I feel sore from overuse. I attribute this to traditional Tae Kwon Do practice, with the energy and physical benefits it produces.

My wife, unfortunately, thinks of Tae Kwon Do as simply a sport activity-one that I am passionate about, but a sport activity nonetheless. She also has days when she feels "old", and thinks I have too much energy for my age. She attributes it to ADD. Granted, she might be partially right (about the ADD), but she still doesn't understand Tae Kwon Do energy. I don't think anyone who doesn't practice does.

And one of the above posters was correct. Most Western doctors are clueless when it comes to martial arts practice. They think if you injure yourself, your days of practicing are done. Very few of them understand martial arts-related injuries. That's why we have Chinese medicine.

[ninjanurse]

And just how much energy should a 36 year old have???

I am 43 and run circles around my ADD teenagers...it's definitely the TKD!!!!!

[Kicks]

but what about the ADHD kids? (H = Hyperactivity)

[Osu No Seichin]

Find a really good reflexoligist, find the best vitamin you can buy, find a natural ant-inflamatory,find a really good cartlidge rebuilder and take them all and keep training. I ride my bike alot, work at a very physical job (lots of heavy lifting and on my feet 8 hrs. a day) I train 3-4 times a week 2-3 hrs. each time. I take all these things and they work, but you have to keep at it and be true to plan. Trust me diet doesn't cut it, you need to supplement. want to talk more or find out what I take, e-mail me.

As to growing pains, go get some mag-phos...at your local health food store, , also works great on cramps. I get leg cramps on a regular basis, especially when i up the training and reduce the rest periods, keep my magnesium-phosphate handy and take a few everytime i get a cramp and the cramps disappear within a few minutes.

[markusan]

Management is the key. I have a great physiotherapist. He is about my age...50 and still keen on sport. So he understands that I'm not going to stop. I have hip and lower back problems and he's given me exercises and stretches that keep everything moving. It works for me and I certainly have less pain than I did five years ago.

[Sam]

Yeah sports orientated physio - general sports require a slightly different approach than normal just recovery from injury physio, even if its not age related.

[Uechi Kid]

I'm 36, and feel as good or better than I did at 26. I have as much energy, kick and punch as strong, and overall feel as good as I always have. I never have days when I feel "old", just days when I feel sore from overuse

At 36 I was in the best shape of my life. Unfortunately I hadn’t started my karate training yet. Now I'm still training and trying to keep up with you youngsters. Watch out for us old guy we still have a trick or two up our sleeves.