Sure, you remember the way you could stretch a single into a double, smash an unstoppable serve over the net or fast-break for an easy two points.
But let's face it, you also can remember televisions without remotes, rotary phones and gasoline lines. Push your body to the lengths it used to go, and you'll have as much success as you would getting your car to run on leaded gas.
The youngest baby boomers are turning 43 this year, and like it or not their bodies are showing the signs of age. But you're not relegated to a rocker. These tips can help you keep exercising without injury.
The rule of 10. People often try to do too much too fast. “Follow the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' 10 percent rule,” says Christopher Siodlarz, M.D., a physiatrist on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas. “Increase your activity by no more than 10 percent a week. That applies to strength training as well as aerobic exercise.”
Where's your weight? If you're like most boomers, you have 20 or 30 pounds on your frame that weren't there when you were younger. “Extra pounds put an extra strain on your joints and body,” says David Bragg, M.D., a family practice physician on the medical staff at Baylor Medical Center at Garland. Decrease the weight as you increase your fitness level to help prevent injury.
The '70s are so yesterday. Do what you can do now, not what you could do then. Dr. Bragg, now 50, used to play competitive tennis. “In my mind I'm still good,” he says. “Out on the court, I tell myself to take it easy.”
Get with the program. Doctors see boomers who haven't done anything for months go out and play softball or tennis at 100 percent. It's better to get in shape with a consistent exercise routine before sprinting to first.