Older age not as frail as once thought when it comes to muscle soreness

Read that title again. A very recent journal publication suggests that older adults (considered 35 years and older) require LESS time of recovery than their counterparts ages 18-25 years old. Click here if you would like to read the article published in Journal of Aging and Physical Activity.

If you would have the cliff notes version of this lengthy systematic review and meta-analysis, read on. Getting older has generally been connected with slowing down in a variety of ways including physical. Have you experienced muscle soreness 24hrs, 48hrs, even 72hrs after a strength training workout? There are several contributing factors for this but as this new research suggests, it is not necessarily aging. "Notably, creatine kinase levels—a key marker of muscle damage—were about 28% lower in older adults 24 hours after exercise, according to the study."

Older adults exercising

This is significant because the misconception of DOMS has generally steered older adults away from exercising. The recommended 150 minutes of weekly activity and two days of resistance training are met by less than half the population. I attended a fitness conference in March which highlighted one important research finding: any exercise is better than nothing. This is great news for older adults as less sore, less pain can be a game-changer quality of life.

Enjoy the journal read but more importantly enjoy life with less muscle soreness!!

-Stacy Davis, MSc., PFT

www.restorefitnessco.com