#11 - Knotted Physio - 3 Areas You Need to Strengthen After 40 to Avoid Injury

Hello Everyone and welcome back to the Knotted Physio Blog! I hope you all are doing well and finding ways to stay active and enjoy the outdoors as the weather starts getting nicer. I also wanted to say thank you again for all of the support and feedback on these posts. It always means so much to hear that these little discussions are helping people feel better and stay moving!

Today, I wanted to talk about something that I see very frequently in the clinic, especially as people get a little older. And before anyone gets offended by the “after 40” part, just hear me out! Aging is not a bad thing. Matter of fact, it is a blessing. But our bodies do change over time and if we don’t pay attention to those changes, injuries can sneak up on us pretty quickly.

Have you ever noticed that when you were younger, you could do just about anything and bounce right back the next day? Stay up too late, lift something heavy with terrible form, play sports all weekend and somehow survive it? Then one day you bend over to pick up a sock and your back goes out. What gives?

One of the biggest things that changes as we age is strength and stability. If certain muscle groups become weak, other areas of the body start trying to compensate and that is usually when pain and injuries start showing up.

One of the biggest areas that I think people need to strengthen after 40 is the hips and glutes. Now, I know glute exercises have become very trendy over the last few years, but there is actually a really good reason for that. Your glute muscles help support your pelvis, hips, knees and even your back.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone with knee pain and when I check their hip strength, it is significantly weak. The body is all connected. Weak hips can cause the knees to collapse inward when walking, squatting or climbing stairs and over time that extra stress adds up.

Another major area is the core. And no, I’m not talking about getting six pack abs. Most people hear “core strengthening” and immediately think crunches. Actually, your core is a deep group of muscles that helps stabilize your spine and pelvis during movement.

Think of your core like the trunk of a tree. If the trunk is weak and unstable, the branches are going to struggle. The same thing happens with the body. When the core becomes weak, the back tends to take more strain during lifting, bending and twisting activities.

I had a patient one time who loved gardening, but every spring she would flare up her back. She thought she just had a “bad back.” Once we started working on hip and core strength, she was able to tolerate much longer periods outside working in her flower beds without pain. Sometimes the answer is not stopping activity, it is preparing the body better for the activity.

The third area that often gets overlooked is balance and ankle strength. This one surprises people sometimes. But as we age, balance naturally starts to decline if we don’t challenge it. That can increase fall risk and make us more vulnerable to ankle, knee and hip injuries.

Have you ever stepped off a curb funny and almost rolled your ankle? Years ago you may have caught yourself quickly and thought nothing of it. But when strength, reaction time and balance decrease, those little moments can turn into bigger injuries.

The good news is balance can absolutely be trained. Simple things like standing on one foot while brushing your teeth, walking on uneven surfaces carefully or doing specific balance exercises can make a huge difference over time.

Now, I’m not saying you need to spend two hours a day in the gym to stay healthy after 40. Matter of fact, most people do really well with consistency over intensity. A little bit done regularly tends to work much better than overdoing it once in awhile and then hurting for a week afterwards.

One thing that I have really noticed over the years is that the people who stay active tend to age much better physically. Their bodies adapt better, they recover faster and they maintain independence longer. Movement truly is medicine.

So if you are wondering where to start, focus on strengthening your hips, your core and your balance. Those three areas can go a long way toward helping you avoid injuries and continue doing the things that you enjoy.

Well guys, I hope this gave you some helpful information and maybe even motivated you to start working on a few of these areas! Remember, it is never too late to get stronger and take care of your body.

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As always, Thanks for reading and Go enjoy the outdoors!