By: Jennifer Penfold-Grogan, Massage Therapist

Baby boomers are a generation on the move. Boomers were raised during the running craze of the ’70s, Jane Fonda and aerobics. They are avid hikers, bikers, runners and skiers to mention a few activities they participate in. Many participate in more activities and with more frequency than they did in their younger days. Unfortunately, our bodies are getting older. As the motto goes “Age is a state of mind” is true, however it is also a state of the body. Even if you feel 30 mentally, your body is not. The joints and muscles and ligaments that make sports possible all have wear and tear from years of activity. They simply start to wear down.

In 2000 a report produced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, found that a 33% increase in sports related injuries occurred in patients born between 1946 and 1964 over a 7-year span. Most of these injuries occurred in muscles and joints.

Massage cannot repair an injury as serious as a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament, however it can go a long way toward warding off some of the more serious injuries. It is a very effective form of preventative medicine.

As people age:

1. Joints and ligaments begin to dry out and become less elastic.

2. Disc degeneration causing back pain (especially in the low back) increases.

3. Recovery time from workouts, illness and injury increase.

4. The immune system wears down making people more susceptible to infection.

Massage works to:

1. Increase blood flow, releasing nutrients into the system, decreasing healing time, increasing energy and a sense of vitality

2. Allow the sympathetic nervous system to relax, reducing stress.

3. Keep fluids in and around the muscle tissue flowing and helps promote muscle pliability, flexibility, and range of motion.

Even if you are not suffering from a soft tissue (muscular) injury, the benefits of massage are numerous. Most maladies are musculoskeletal related. An August issue of Consumer Reports cited Deep–tissue massage as one of the remedies voted most effective for low back pain.

There is no need to decrease activities as we age, as long as we give our bodies the preventative tools it needs for optimum wellness. Massage intuitively makes sense as a proactive measure for good health as well as effective tool for injury recovery.