Exercising Boomers seek medical help to cope with aging bodies

This NYT article ranked number one in popularity yesterday for articles that were emailed and is showing up as number two in popularity for today's emails. It's an article that deftly chronicles health and fitness issues for America's aging baby boomers. The over riding theme of the article is that Americans are seeking surgical assistance in droves to repair bodies that have been impacted by repetitive stress injuries and other fall out from exercising. And, boomers are trying to balance the medical risks of orthopedic surgeries with the cardiac and cancer risk that is heightened through lack of exercise.

The article discusses the various treatments boomers are undergoing including: knee and hip replacements, surgery for cartilage and ligament damage, and treatment for tendinitis, arthritis, and stress fractures.
Here is a quote from the article that gets the main point across: "Boomers are the first generation that grew up exercising, and the first that expects, indeed demands, that they be able to exercise into their 70's," said Dr. Nicholas A. DiNubile, a Philadelphia-area orthopedic surgeon, who coined and trademarked the term boomeritis." Boomeritis describes this very phenomenon.

The article notes that sports injuries have become the No. 2 reason for visits to a doctor's office nationwide. Boomers want to keep exercising and many need medical repairs in order to get there.

The article cites many individual sagas of various boomers to help make its point. It's one story after another of boomers trying to maintain their level of physical activity despite their aging bodies.

Here is a key quote from the article that mirrors the philosophy of getfitsource.com as long term readers of this blog will recognize: "It is not hard to understand why baby boomers are so driven to exercise, given the ubiquitous medical advice stating that a regimen of physical activity can help prevent everything from Alzheimer's disease to diabetes."

The article also wisely recommends cross training to help avoid repetitive stress injuries. Running five miles every day is not model boomers should be following. You have to cross train, mixing in functional exercise, biking, free weights, competitive sports, etc. to lessen the risk of damage to your joints.