My biggest hiking challenge

and how I am conquering it

Cheddar Gorge, UK

My hiking days are over at 68!

Two years ago, I developed Patellar tendinopathy, thanks to a new Peloton bike and over-zealous riding. My physiotherapist banned me from the bike and helped me to get back to riding finally building to 10 mins every second day after months of physical therapy. Back to somewhat normal, I still had occasional knee niggles. Outdoor riding took precedence as it didn’t affect the knee as much.

Last year, I spent two months in the UK indulging my passion: hiking every trail I could get to, including some seriously stepped paths to spectacular views - Glastonbury Tor, Cheddar Gorge, and Brean Downs in Somerset.

Add to that a couple of Peloton studio rides where I was determined not to be the old lady in the room who couldn’t keep up.

Towards the end of the trip, I could feel more than knee niggles. My hip was now screaming at me. Yoga wasn’t relieving the pain. I think it made it worse.

I couldn’t understand why I had not been able to hike the way I had on my pre-COVID annual UK trips over the past twenty years.

Home for another round of rehab

The doctor had me scanned and x-rayed. Great grip strength, bone density, and no arthritis. So what is the problem? She offered cortisone injections. That’s all I’ve got, she said. No thanks. I need to find a solution, not a mask.

The Chiropractor adjusted me and gave me exercises I promptly forgot the minute I walked out. My brain scrambles during an adjustment.

The physiotherapist strapped me with tape, needled me and gave me specific exercises on an app. At least I had something to refer to.

It’s been an up-and-down year. Hip bursitis and tendon tears are no fun. At times, I couldn’t walk for more than 5 minutes. It was a game of snakes and ladders.

Depression set in.

That’s it. I’ve hit aging, and it has kicked back. It’s all downhill from here.

But I kept watching older role-model women kicking ass, which made me question. What’s wrong with me?

Ever the researcher, I scanned for solutions

Scrolling Facebook recently, an ad grabbed my attention. I never buy from Facebook, so I moved on. After three appearances, I finally took a look. That algorithm knows me too well, despite the resisting power I labelled procrastination last week.

Built from Broken: A Science-Based Guide to Healing Painful Joints, Preventing Injuries, and Rebuilding Your Body by Scott Hogan

It summed me up. I was broken, but there was a glimmer of a promise that I could rebuild. The Amazon reviews were extremely positive. Click! Download.

A totally different perspective

The book was the lesson in fitness physiology I needed. Advice from my PTs is one thing, but I need the big picture, a context to understand their advice. This book gave me the context I needed in plain, simple language. It gave me hope that I could support my aging body, and it gave me a pathway to achieving it.

Quietly excitedly, I zeroed in on…

Chapter 4: How to Train Your Collagen

What is collagen anyway?

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, accounting for about 30% of the total protein. It provides structural support for virtually all organs and soft tissue (including joints). As we age, we produce less collagen. By 60, our ability to produce collagen decreases by 50%, causing aging joints, saggy skin, and muscle tissue loss. It follows that preserving collagen mass in joints is essential for healthy aging.

Collagen is the fibre-like structure used to make connective tissue - tendons, ligaments, cartilage, intramuscular and fascia.

I’d had a run-in with a soft tissue injury a few years back. It took 12 weeks to heal. I recovered and moved on, not giving it another thought. I had a vague idea of soft tissue and connective tissue but not how important it is, especially as I age. Now, my injuries over the past year made sense.

It seems I am not alone in this soft tissue injury epidemic. It is a leading cause of sports injury (after fractures)

At this point in the book, I was certain…

I would climb mountains again!

The author goes on to explain the factors that decrease collagen synthesis:

• NSAIDs,

• Steroid Hormones,

• Sedentary lifestyle,

• Ultraviolet Radiation,

• Chronic inflammation,

• Poor lifestyle choices,

• Autoimmune Disorders,

• Nutrient-deficient diets and

• Age. Yikes!

To improve collagen synthesis:

• Collagen boosting foods,

• Let your body do its job,

• Deep tissue massage,

• Supplements.

He spells out in detail how to use Collagen as a nutritional supplement.

Most importantly, he outlines connective tissue training strategies: challenge your body with heavy weights rather than light weights and reps.

Recreational athletes and general-population fitness enthusiasts with joint pain will benefit from…more joint-friendly slow rep tempos with plyometric training interspersed at less regular intervals.

Then there’s the ‘Movement trumps exercise’ adage. Looks like I’ll have to replace some reading with a spot of gardening.

Most exciting: Current research says connective tissue structures may be much more plastic than previously thought. Makes me think of neuroplasticity in Cognitive Fitness.

Tendons, ligaments, fascia, synovium, and even cartilage structures respond to the physiological inputs we give them. You have much more control over your joint healing processes, strength, and integrity than you realise.

I have been following the book’s advice for a month now. I do Peloton Pilates and Strength training four days a week and ride three days a week. I let my joints tell me when to increase the weight load. It’s working. I have virtually no pain. Knee niggles are nearly gone. I am confident I can forge my way back to the hiking trails of the world.

Could connective tissue be the forgotten cousin of muscles and bones? We’ve always known we have to work muscles, and Smart Agers understand the importance of strength work for strong bones. Now I also know that I will never take my joints for granted again.

The future is bright for staying active and fulfilling passions, regardless of aging. If you’re over 50 and want to stay active for the rest of your life, you need this book.

My Favourite Substack Reads this week:

Hands-On, Thumbs-Off | Theory No. 36 by Anu

Aging Gracefully: The Wonder and Indignity of Flying by David Kellis

Sugar Sick: Gluttony inspired propaganda to kick sugar out of my life by Jack Dixon