As older ones want to counter the effects of old age they often take up exercise or sporting hobbies. The result of this has seen an increase in physiotherapy appointments.
The problem is that as people exercise the muscles required for their specific sport while neglecting the opposing groups of muscles resulting in muscle imbalance. This has sparked a wave of research into this phenomenon. Consider this for example from the sport of hockey.
“Ever notice how you bend forward when you're playing hockey?
You've been sitting in the office, bending forward all day, and now you're at the rink doing the same thing. Your hip muscles are shortened in front because of all that sitting and forward bending. The result is short muscles in front of the hip and weaker muscles at the back, which, in time, will lead to poor core control followed by groin strain or low back pain.
Work some forward lunges into your day to stretch your hips, Kennedy says.
And new research shows that hockey players need to strengthen their abdominal and butt muscles (gluteus medius) for rotational strength, Kennedy says. These muscles may no longer be strong enough for you to play at the level you were used to, and leaving them weak for too long eventually will affect your lower back.”
Other research looks at knee pain, football, tennis, osteoarthritis, tendons, mountain biking and running.
