Cheer me up: regarding pain and middle age and increased activity (and knee surgery)

In My Humble Opinion
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So…who here has undertaken much greater physical activity in their mid-forties or so, and found initially that even gentle exercise, such as swimming, created significant stiffness and sorness in their body for a day or so afterwards, but persisted with the activity anyway, and eventually found that they ended up overall LESS stiff, LESS sore and with MORE mobility as they increased and committed to physical activity on a consistent basis?

Anyone?

Also: anyone who has had knee surgery, especially a miniscus tear repair, did you find that over time the pain and soreness and stiffness that activity would bring went away? Did you find that NOT being active would increase the knee’s sensitivity to activity?

I need some encouraging words here, people.

Also, I am obese. Is this making the soreness and stiffness worse for some weird reason?

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[QUOTE=Stoid]
So…who here has undertaken much greater physical activity in their mid-forties or so, and found initially that even gentle exercise, such as swimming, created significant stiffness and sorness in their body for a day or so afterwards, but persisted with the activity anyway, and eventually found that they ended up overall LESS stiff, LESS sore and with MORE mobility as they increased and committed to physical activity on a consistent basis?

When I was 39, under stress of circumstances I decided that I needed something to take the edge off, and the choices seemed to be alcohol or exercise. Exercise seemed to be the safer option in the long run, so I started going to the gym and lifting weights. I’ve had a couple of longish breaks, due to moving house and changing jobs, and this week I started back at the gym after a ten month break.

I’ve 44 and my rather over-enthusiastic trainer has me doing squats and dead lifts for the first time in my life. I did think I was going to die, or at least fall over, and I hurt afterwards, but already that soreness is subsiding and I can feel my body enjoying the work again.

I’m in better physical condition than I was when I was 24. I’m fitter aerobically, stronger physically and if I’m not quite as flexible, I’m still very flexible, and I know that I can improve that with work.

Going to the gym regularly means that I get up in the morning without stiffness or soreness, I’m stronger, feel better and instead of feeling cramped and sort of contained, my muscles feel stretched, used and ready to work.

I don’t think mid-forties is a time to give up on yourself physically. If you’re not used to exercise you’ll hurt a bit to start with, but that will wear off fairly quickly, although each time you change activities or up the exertion level it will probably come back, but you’ll likely never hurt quite so much again as you did at the start.

Do learn to distinguish the soreness from using muscles you haven’t exercised in a while, from the soreness of injury or damage. If even ninety-year olds get stronger with exercise, there’s no excuse for a young whippersnapper in their forties to get discouraged!