Avoiding Injuries as You Age
Why does injury prevention matter?
Seniors are the largest demographic when it comes to healthcare usage, with an estimated 37% of US healthcare spending done by those 65+ years of age. Even though they only make up 17% of the US population, seniors are the biggest spenders on health services. In their first year of retirement alone, older adults spend an average of $12,800 on healthcare. With this number expected to only increase as they age, it’s quite apparent that healthcare spending is a huge financial burden on older adults and their families. Though a lot of this financial strain is due to age-related disease or conditions, a significant portion of healthcare spending comes from injuries, musculoskeletal issues, and falls. Non fatal falls alone totaled over 80 billion dollars in healthcare costs in 2020. Of course, not all these injuries and falls are completely avoidable, but there are many lifestyle changes one can make to significantly reduce the risk of falls and musculoskeletal injuries well into the senior years.
Aside from the financial strain that an injury can place on an individual and their family, recovering physically from an injury at an advanced age is also quite a difficult thing to accomplish. Unfortunately, many seniors never still fully recover from a fall at all. The CDC reports that 10% of falls result in injuries that are severe enough to warrant medical services or some impairment of daily life activities. Severe injuries such as a broken hip, leg, or damaged spine can leave a person with a disability that lasts the rest of their life.
Risk factors for injury in older adults
Injury goes far beyond just falls as well. Daily tasks like laundry, cooking, driving, and moving objects come at an increased risk for injury outside of just falling as we age. Lack of control, coordination, mental sharpness, and physical ability all are something we see gradually decline with age. All these factors can contribute to higher occurrence and severity of injury during activities of daily life, so let’s break down why these are impacted when we age.
Declining strength and muscle mass
Over the age of 50, muscle mass and muscle strength is expected to decrease by 1-2% per year. The rate of decline only increases with age, with an estimated loss of up to 3% muscle mass and strength per year over the age of 60. The proper term for this loss of strength and muscle tissue is known as sarcopenia. The severity of sarcopenia differs from person to person. It is also very possible to combat it and greatly minimize its negative effects (more on that later). Those with the condition are at a much higher risk for falls and other injuries and have significantly impaired quality of life, as muscle strength plays a large role in balance and stability.
Loss of bone density
Though we’ve covered this topic in a limited capacity in our previous blog post, I feel like it is relevant to address again now. Muscles are not the only thing affected by age. Bone density is expected to decline in older adults as well. This is especially the case in women who are post-menopausal. Bone density peaks for most people in their 20s and early 30s, and starts to decline as early as 40. Weaker and more porous bones have a much lower capacity to resist impact and external forces, meaning that the risk of breaks, fractures, and other bone related injuries during a fall or accident is vastly higher.
Proprioception and balance issues
“Proprioception” is the term used to describe one’s awareness of their body in physical space, and the forces acting upon it It is closely related to balance, and like muscle or bone quality, it also can see a decline with age. Balance and proprioceptive ability are determined by a few different factors in the body. Some physical, such as proper alignment of the body, posture, and strength to maintain such alignment, and others are more closely related to the nervous system and brain. As we’ve discussed, older adults will see a loss of muscle strength and mass as they age, which has the unfortunate effect of impacting balance skills as well. It is difficult to quantify how much of balance is affected by sarcopenia, and how much is a result of nervous system and cognitive decline. We do know, however, that posture and the ability to resist external force, which are important components of balance, are all positively affected by strength training.
Proven Strategies to Avoid Injuries as you age
When it comes to injury prevention, I like to take a 2 part approach to the subject: preventing accidents before they happen, and resisting injury when they do. As is the case with most topics of this blog, we can achieve both of these goals with strength and mobility training. Implementing a proper weight training program is a vital component of becoming injury proof as you age.
Starting as early as possible will give you the greatest resistance against falls and injury into your older years. Consistent weight training throughout the life span has shown to dramatically delay the onset of sarcopenia and improve quality of life. The same can be said about bone loss, as weight training is a proven method to slowing osteoporosis and osteopenia. Additionally, exercise in your older years is a great way to positively impact your balance and proprioception as well. Training for balance in a controlled environment can combat some of the nervous system declines we see with aging as well.
So how exactly do we go about training for longevity and injury prevention? As a trainer, I would recommend first, as always, to get stronger! Starting a fitness program is something you cannot wait on, as the longer you delay it, the less benefits you’ll see later into your life. Strength can be obtained even in your later years, but the amount you will retain is heavily dependent on how long you’ve been training for. A good trainer will know how to get you started on resistance training in a controlled environment, and will slowly and progressively scale the difficulty as you improve. This could mean heavier weights, larger ranges of motion, more reps, or in the case of balance specific training, adding external challenges such as standing on 1 foot or an uneven surface.
Let’s not forget about mobility training as well. Mobility for older adults is a vital part of preventing injury. Muscle tears, chronic pains, and lack of body control can all be factors of immobility as well. Getting stronger is great, but what is the point of strength if you can barely move? Your training program ideally should include a good mix of both strength and mobility training to support strong, mobile joints that are resistant to whatever life throws at you.
Personal training is a great way to fight injuries for life
By this point, you should be well aware of how implementing a strength and conditioning program can help you prevent injury. Now the real task is learning where and how to start one. Unless you have current experience in the gym or with resistance training programs, it is recommended that you first talk to your doctor about starting a program up, especially if you have any preexisting conditions. If you are cleared to exercise, your next step is to seek out a professional to help get started with your training. Many folks begin a program with little to no experience and risk hurting themselves in the gym for a variety of reasons. Knowledge of proper form, programming, and safely overloading to progress consistently are all topics one needs to be aware of before starting off on their own. This is why it is recommended that you start with a trainer if you are new to exercise or simply unaware of how to create a safe and effective program.
Aside from the risk of injury, training without guidance can lead to a lack of results, or feeling lost and confused in the gym. Walking into the gym without a plan is a great way to get discouraged and quit your exercise journey early. Especially so if you find yourself getting hurt every time you lift a weight!
Thankfully personal training can get you set on the right path. A good trainer will give you a solid workout each day. A great trainer will educate you on how to train to the best of your ability. Here at Catalyst I always prioritize autonomy in the weight room. I have a goal with every single one of my clients - to be able to walk into any gym and know how to give yourself a good workout. Learning an exercise is one thing, but learning the “why” of what you do in training is super important to me. I believe that if you can develop a basic understanding of weight training and build confidence in the gym environment, you’ll be much more likely to continue training for the rest of your life. Many folks ignore the gym outright because they are simply intimidated and unfamiliar with exercise, and that sets them on a path to being injury prone older adults.
With Catalyst’s semi-private model, you can learn effective, safe ways to workout while also developing autonomy in the weight room. Trainers should be there to support and teach you, not just yell the names of exercises at you. Catalyst was built on this principle, to inspire a lifelong love of fitness that will keep you injury resistant for many years to come.
References
CDC. “Facts about Falls.” Older Adult Fall Prevention, 2024, www.cdc.gov/falls/data-research/facts-stats/index.html.
Demontiero, Oddom, et al. “Aging and Bone Loss: New Insights for the Clinician.” Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease, vol. 4, no. 2, Apr. 2012, pp. 61–76, https://doi.org/10.1177/1759720x11430858.
Haddad, Yara K, et al. “Healthcare Spending for Non-Fatal Falls among Older Adults, USA.” Injury Prevention, vol. 30, no. 4, 19 July 2024, pp. 272–276, https://doi.org/10.1136/ip-2023-045023.
Spending by Age and Sex 2020 Highlights. https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/Downloads/AgeandGenderHighlights.pdf
von Haehling, Stephan, et al. “An Overview of Sarcopenia: Facts and Numbers on Prevalence and Clinical Impact.” Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, vol. 1, no. 2, Dec. 2010, pp. 129–133, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13539-010-0014-2.
Yamazaki, Kazunori, et al. “Percentage of Decline in Individual Proprioceptors in Older Adults.” Journal of Physical Therapy Science, vol. 36, no. 9, 1 Jan. 2024, pp. 492–497, www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jpts/36/9/36_2024-019/_article/-char/en, https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.36.492.
