My Physical Fitness by Age

I've been physically active since my childhood. I routinely played in pick up games, organized sports, and now adult leagues. As I've passed through my 20s, 30s, and 40s, there have been noticeable changes in my physical conditioning. Here are the stages of physical fitness that I experienced as I got older:

Indestructible (0 to 20) - Up until I was twenty, I was virtually indestructible. Sprains and bruises were my major injuries, and I would usually heal within a week or two. Even after having a ruptured appendix in the spring of my junior year, I returned to a starting position on a football team that won a state championship.

I became very fit mainly through practice and didn't do any additional strength training.

Slowing down a step (20s) - While I remained in relative good physical condition in my twenties, I noticed that I was losing a step or two versus the younger players. While I was still fast, the percentage of faster competitors grew each year.

Increasing recovery time (30s) - In my thirties, I noticed an increase in recovery time from strenuous activity. Previously, I only needed a relaxing Sunday to recover from playing rugby on a Saturday. It was now taking until Tuesday or Wednesday to recover. I decided to retire :-)

Prone to injury (40s) - In my forties, I seemed to get minor injuries that linger for a while. For several months, I had foot and ankle pain which became worse with physical activity. In addition, I've had a couple of sprains that have taken a while to heal.

I also realized that I need to do regular exercise and strength training to prevent further decline in my physical fitness.

At this point, it's too early to create a descriptor for my fifties, since I've only experienced two years. Based on other's experiences, the fifties seem to fall into the categories of Maintaining the Forties or Major Injury from Everyday Activities. Hopefully, with exercise and a bit of luck, my fifties title will be Reversing the Forties :-)

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