Think of yourselves as a car.

As a new car (your young self), everything works like a charm. The tires haven’t been worn, all of the belts and pistons are working like they are supposed to, the seats are still firm and the windows are not marked up yet from being hit with even the smallest road debris. Now, think of your 20-year-old car (or let’s say 45 in people years). You’ve probably bought new tires several times over, the body of the car is probably sporting a few scrapes and dents, and the headlights might be a little dim from years of built up grime.Our bodies are a machine – a machine with many moving parts that work in tandem to form an impressive specimen (just like a car). When one of those moving parts starts to falter, it can affect how the entire machine functions.The same can be said for your body, especially if you’ve used your body for sports through the years. Your 20-year-old self (relatively new car) has fewer miles on it. Your muscles, joints etc. are still able to function better whether you’re on the baseball field, tennis court or on an ice rink. Your 20-year-old self has experienced fewer pot holes along the way to cause damage to your body.However, your 45-year-old self has some miles on it. Being an active athlete, you’ve probably had a few injuries through the years. Maybe you’ve had surgery to repair a torn ACL in your knee. That knee is going to work better after the surgery, but it’s not going to work like it once did. Just like a car with new tires, the car will drive better with all new tires rather keeping the original ones and continuing to patch them.I’ve said all of that to get the fact across that your body is not going to function as well as it did when you were 20-years-old. However, not all is lost. You can still participate in sports (team or individual), but you must listen to your body. Here are some tips to take care of your body and keep yourself well-oiled so you can continue to be active.

• Rest and Recover Longer – Older athletes need to allow themselves more time to recover between training sessions, games, etc. The extra time gives your bodies time to heal.
• Stay Hydrated and Eat Well – Going back to the car analogy again – you need to keep your body hydrated (just as you keep oil in your car). Just as your car functions well with better gasoline, your body will function better with the right food (lean proteins, fruits and vegetables).
• Flex Your Muscles – Part of aging is the gradual loss of muscle mass. Your activities should include weight-bearing exercises and don’t forget to stretch to maintain your flexibility.
• Get Some Sleep – Sleep deprivation is unfortunately a problem these days. Sleeping too little can lead to a depressed immune system and decreased mental functioning. During sleep our body releases human growth hormone, which is powerful in the recovery process, therefore less sleep means less HGH. Sleep can do wonders for our bodies at any age.

I certainly don’t want to discourage anyone (no matter the age) from being active. Whether you are 25, 45 or 85, I hope you continue to move, but also be aware of what your body needs in order to operate properly.