AMC Outdoors, November 2007
Increasingly, we are a nation of nature lovers held together by duct tape, knee braces, walking sticks, ice packs, and insoles. The older we get, the more we need them. Find out how to stay off the sidelines—and on the trail, rock, or water—with expert advice on injury prevention.
It seemed like a typical early season paddling day when Jerry MacAward pushed off from the banks of Pennsylvania’s Lehigh River one cool April morning 12 years ago. While paddling out, he was still a little stiff from the car ride, already a little “shivery,” as he recalls. Anticipating the frigid conditions, a water temperature of about 40 degrees, he had geared up. In addition to his life vest and helmet, he wore Capilene long underwear, a farmer john wetsuit, and a dry top with rubber gaskets that prevents water from seeping in from the neck or wrists. Your typical cold-weather uniform, one most every seasoned whitewater paddler knows well. There was, however, one item he borrowed that day: a paddle. Its blade, he noticed, was markedly wider than the one he typically used, built for someone a bit shorter than he was. A seasoned paddler, MacAward didn’t think much of it at the time. A minor adjustment, he assumed. But this change in gear, combined with another deviation from his normal routine, was enough to lodge a wrench into his paddling plans for weeks to follow.
Rather than performing his usual warm-up, which involves very deliberate stretching after a mild-intensity paddle, MacAward charged ahead that day. “When you’re running with a bunch of younger, hot-shot kayakers, it’s hard to remember to start slow,” he says. “I forgot. I immediately started paddling aggressively, which was a big mistake.”
While darting into an eddy, he anchored his right paddle blade into the water to turn the boat upstream. That’s when something jarred. “The paddle had too much bite,” he recalls. “It grabbed more water than my ligaments would hold.”
As a paddling instructor himself, and 12-year veteran of the sport at the time, MacAward instantly knew his injury: a hyperextended shoulder, a classic setback for both flatwater and whitewater paddlers. Stick with kayaking long enough and you’re bound to hear your share of war stories involving the hurt and healing of this particular body part—that is, should you be lucky enough to avoid injury yourself. MacAward was lucky. He didn’t need surgery. Physical therapy, ice, and rest were all it took to get him back on the water.
Such is life for a growing segment of outdoor enthusiasts. Increasingly, we are a nation of nature lovers held together by duct tape, knee braces, walking sticks, ice packs, insoles, Band-Aids, pain medication and, in some cases, elaborate surgical procedures. The older we get, the more we rely on such things to keep us in one piece. And finding the appropriate remedy for your particular ailment—at the pharmacy or online—is often enough to add a headache to your list of symptoms.
The notion of rising above our flawed, bruised, and beaten bodies is constantly reinforced by the mainstream media. (Consider the coverage of Lance Armstrong who, after persevering through testicular cancer, went on to win the Tour de France.) And many of us, regardless of how busted-up our bodies become, wholeheartedly buy into this sentiment. Regardless of age or injury, we are often unfazed by our failing body parts. We must get back in the cockpit of the kayak or into the saddle of the road bike. We must sink our previously sprained fingers back into that rock face that wronged us or shoulder a backpack to bag yet another high peak. Being outdoors can be a tonic—perhaps even an addiction—and few of us are ready to eliminate these experiences from our lives as we age.
For instance, gobs of research suggest that baby boomers are not giving up active-minded pursuits such as kayaking, hiking, biking, or even rock climbing. In a 2006 recreation participation study, the Outdoor Industry Foundation cited that people over the age of 45 make up one-third of active travelers in the U.S. In fact, of the survey participants, 31 percent of the hikers and 28 percent of the kayakers were in this age group.
In fact, it’s arguable that one of the newest trends in the world of sports medicine has to do with the maturing population. Now more than ever, older people are going on more active vacations—and making attempts to take better care of themselves through a series of outdoor pursuits. “Who ever thought there would be sports medicine for 70 years olds?” asks sports physician Paul D. Tortland of Valley Sports Physicians in Avon, Conn. And yet, here we are; increasingly, doctors are treating older patients who run marathons, do long-distance backpacking on routes like the Appalachian Trail, or simply enjoy going out for a hike on a regular basis.
But once you get older, a different set of rules apply—and the likelihood of acquiring some of the common injuries associated with a given sport certainly does not drop. However, there are paths to prevention and ways to deal with common injuries.
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