‘I’m an Orthopedic Surgeon and Here's the Exercise I Do Every Day To Prevent Injury’

Emily Laurence
·5 min read
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The older we get, the same activities we used to do with reckless abandon may now seem like sure ways to get injured. (Chances are you haven’t hopped on a skateboard in a while, for example…)

As we age, the body does become more prone to injury, but you can keep your bones, joints and overall body in top form with healthy lifestyle habits firmly in place. No one perhaps knows this better than orthopedic surgeons, whose job is devoted to preventing, diagnosing and treating disorders of the bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles. Not only do they intimately understand how these parts of the body work, they see first-hand the most common ways they are negatively impacted.

Here, Dr. Kevin R. Stone, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at The Stone Clinic and chairman of the Stone Research Foundation, reveals the exercise he does every day to prevent his own body from injury.

Related: This Is the Most Important Food to Eat if You're Over Age 50, According to a Registered Dietitian

Why Are We More Prone to Injury as We Age?

Ever wonder why we’re more likely to experience joint stiffness, bone fragility and other changes that make it more likely to get injured the older we get? Dr. Stone explains that as we age, tissues naturally lose some of their elasticity, which can make pain, swelling, bruising, and damage more common and longer lasting.

At the same time, he says that bones become less dense and muscles degrade in volume and power. Scientific research shows that we start to lose bone gradually as early as age 30. Often, people don’t realize their bones have been weakening until something dramatic happens. “Osteoporosis [a medical condition where bones become brittle and fragile] is often a ‘silent disease’ because people who develop it may not notice any changes until a bone breaks—usually a bone in the hip, spine or wrist,” Dr. Lauren Gleason, MD, MPH, an assistant professor of medicine in the Section of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the University of Chicago Medicine, previously told Parade.

The decrease in muscle volume and power is a major cause of disability in older adults. According to scientific research, muscle mass decreases between three and eight percent each year after age 30, and the rate of decline is higher after age 60.

Here’s the good news: Dr. Stone says it’s possible to slow and even prevent all this from happening. “Exercise is the best antidote to aging,” he says. And there’s one exercise he says is particularly beneficial and that he himself does every day.

Related: Build Your Bones With These 3 Delicious Snacks

The Best Exercise To Prevent Injury as You Age, According to an Orthopedic Surgeon

Every day, Dr. Stone does pool running (running in the pool) as a way to protect his body from injury. “This exercise supports the muscles in a great, low-impact way,” he says.

While running on land can put a lot of wear and tear on the joints because of the impact or each step, Dr. Stone says that running in the water prevents this. That means there’s less risk of injuries such as knee pain, sprains and shin splints. One study found that running in water off-loads 85 percent of body weight.

Running in the water also tones muscles and is good for cardiovascular health. The American Heart Association recommends engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week to keep your heart healthy. Running in the water for 30 minutes, five days a week is a way to do exactly this.

Related: Bend and Snap! Here's an Easy Plan to Keep Your Joints Healthy and Fend Off Arthritis 

Other Ways To Protect Your Body From Injury as You Age

Don’t have access to a pool? There are other ways to protect your body from injury as you age. Scientific studies have found that regularly doing weight-bearing impact exercises (such as jumping rope) and progressive resistance exercises (like push-ups) can improve bone health, helping to prevent bone density loss. Exercises that can help improve balance (such as yoga, Pilates and tai chi) can help prevent injury as well.

Can you guess the number one cause of injury Dr. Stone is seeing right now? It’s pickleball! “This sport is hugely popular for people between 50 and 80 years old and it’s a ton of fun. But people are so excited that they’re doing maneuvers that they haven’t done in 20 or 30 years, reaching for balls and getting extremely competitive,” Dr. Stone says. “It’s important to exercise every day you age, but you have to prepare yourself for the sports that you do.”

So how can you enjoy pickleball (or another sport) without injury? Dr. Stone says it’s important to warm up before you start playing, which can involve stretching and jogging. “This helps increase blood flow to the muscles and increases the elasticity of the tissues,” he says. Also, by focusing on balance-promoting activities and low-impact exercises (like pool running) to cross-train, you’ll be less likely to get injured as you engage in your favorite sport or activity.

Becoming weak and fragile is not inevitable; it’s preventable through healthy lifestyle habits, starting with daily exercise. With healthy habits in place, you just may find yourself in even better shape than in your 20s or 30s!

Next up, check out this five-minute routine for reducing hip pain, according to physical therapists.

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