Getting all old and achy in karate.

[KyungYet]

I'm in my 40s, but some days I feel more like I'm in my 60s.

My feet hurt.

My knees hurt.

My hips hurt, and I can't kick as high as I used to, even though I stretch every day.

My lower back hurts. MAN, does my lower back hurt some days.

Is this normal or am I just aging poorly?

I'll be happy to listen to your grandpa/grandma-like complaints since I just saddled you with mine, and I'm also excited to hear any training/rehabilitation advice you might have so I can keep up the same level of vigor, flexibility, and passion into my 50s, 60s, and 70s!

Tanx!

KY

[kensei]

Im 41, I have been training since I was 6. My hip kills me when I kick and often when I walk. I wake up and my lower back is one big block of tight muscle pain. My neck kills me and I get head aches from it, my elbow pops when I punch, My jaw (has been broken twice) clicks, my knees are sore and I can not move as fast as I used to, my ankles are sore and swell on occasion.

Its all part of the craddle to the grave process and unfortunatly the more you abuse your body when you are young, the longer you have that "man Im getting old" feeling later on.

Suffer though it, use advil and keep going. Dont stop till they put you in the box man! its worth it to remember you are alive and you are still pretty damn good at what you do!

[Spartacus Maximus]

I'm just a few years younger than you are and I would not consider either of us old. If it is any consolation, I also get daily aches and pains. Something is always sore somewhere.

I discussed this with my teacher and he assured me it is completely normal. I found that training through the pain and soreness actually decreases it. It is only after training that I feel anything. Not training for a single day is more painful and makes everything feel worse. I looked into the reason for this and discussed it with my teacher. The reason is that training stimulates natural production medicating chemicals, like adrenalin. If you push yourself a little further gradually past your point of soreness, it will slowly disappear. The trick is to never stop.

When a person reaches around 25 habits and physical limits have already been set. The good news is that it is not impossible to change. Endurance, strength and flexibility can all be increased with daily exercise. Your physical limits are never set forever. If something is not possible at 30, it may be possible at 40 if you push yourself hard enough.

Some of the best karateka I know did not reach there physical peak of flexibility, strength and endurance until their 50's. That's what keeps me going through all the aches and pains.

[KyungYet]

Thanks, guys!

You have no idea how much better this makes me feel. I rarely hear complaints from guys my age or older either because

They think men shouldn't complain.

They think martial artists shouldn't complain.

They don't want to admit they have a weakness.

But frankly, hearing others admit that some days it's tough, but that the answer is to just keep (carefully) pushing and working and training is super-inspiring.

Now, off to go for a jog and stretch!

KY

[Nidan Melbourne]

It is totally normal considering you've done martial arts for so long.

[ps1]

I was in a seminar with Rickson Gracie (GJJ legend), who is known for being one of the toughest people you'll ever meet. Someone asked him this question:

"Professor, every morning after practice I wake up and ache alot. My neck and fingers and feet. What do you suggest I do to stop that from happening?"

Rickson's answer: "Welcome to the club my friend. What we do hurts. You can eat right and exercise and that will help. But you will be sore, my friend. Just keep training because the alternative, it's not as good."

[sensei8]

I suppose it's normal. Isn't the MA just a wonderful thing?! Yes...it is!! Aches and pains are normal for everyone, and not just for MAists. As we get older, our body starts letting you know that it's time to PAY ATTENTION to it because it's no longer that young woman or man.

Welcome to growing old.

[jaypo]

Same here. I just turned 40 in August. I'm having a hard time coming to grips with my age, so at the beginning of this year, I disciplined myself to lose weight and keep it off. I have always been a bit of a gym rat, but I have been working on doing things right. I use olympic rings a bit more in the place of some weighted exercises. I stretch a lot more. And now that I'm 15 pounds lighter, I started doing some running to improve my cardio. It's amazing how much better I can train now!

The downside- I have 2 bad knees and a bad shoulder from years of sports. So my knees still ache, and my body mechanics aren't where I'd want them to be (I'll never win any Kata competitions!) But I feel a lot better than I did a year ago.

I was talking with a former NFL quarterback yesterday, and he said that his body started feeling the same effects we're talking about when he was about 33! And he's 6'5 and about 240 lbs. I guess that's just the life of an athlete!

[bushido_man96]

I was in a seminar with Rickson Gracie (GJJ legend), who is known for being one of the toughest people you'll ever meet. Someone asked him this question:

"Professor, every morning after practice I wake up and ache alot. My neck and fingers and feet. What do you suggest I do to stop that from happening?"

Rickson's answer: "Welcome to the club my friend. What we do hurts. You can eat right and exercise and that will help. But you will be sore, my friend. Just keep training because the alternative, it's not as good."

Well said. My knees hurt quite a bit, and I'm not even in my 40's yet. I think whenever anyone stays active for so long, it eventually just starts to wear on the body. I think for Martial Artists, the joints especially take a beating, especially doing hard striking in the air for so long.

The answer, some anti-inflammatories, taken as needed.

[hansenator]

It might be worth finding a good physical therapist or someone to take a look at you.

I spent years with shoulder and back problems. I couldn't do a pushup or walk down the street without pain. Sometimes I couldn't stay in bed because it hurt so much. I was told several times "that's what happens when you get older" but I finally found someone who could figure out what was going on.

It turns out my glutes were underactive and weren't stabilizing the pelvis the way they were supposed to. Other muscles were trying to do the job and this stressed the SI joint causing pain. Getting the glutes turned back on and strengthening them made a world of difference. The shoulder was a similar thing. A couple of stabilizers, specifically the serratus and lower traps, weren't doing their jobs. Correcting this has allowed me to resume normal activities.

I also had knee pain which was caused by fallen arches. Orthotics and foot/hip exercises have helped this.

Don't assume that, because you're active, you're immune to this. I've been active my whole life until pain sidelined me. I think this type of thing is more common than people realize, especially if you're on desk patrol or do a lot of sitting.