Will You Still Race Me,

Paul McCartney turned 64 this year — an unbeliev - able notion to the millions of fans who are having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that they’re at, or close to, that distant age the Beatles sang about in 1967. But the flower power generation is not ready to let the sun go down on the fun yet, especially those who live and play in Park City.

Skiing, snowboarding and romantic moonlight snowshoe treks all beckon. But while the good life is calling, sometimes the body has a hard time complying. Whether the knees are blown from too many sit-ins and protest marches, or the back has been thrown out from all of those non-competitive Frisbee games, local health and fitness gurus stand by to help maturing athletes get and stay in shape.

MountainTop Physical Therapy and Wellness Center’s owner Preston Hall is both a certified physical therapist and a strength-and-conditioning specialist. According to Hall, many sports ailments result from older athletes ignoring the limitations that muscle mass loss, degenerative joint changes and the decrease of bone mass that accompanies the aging process impose. The good news is that these and other changes associated with aging can be prevented or reversed with appropriate exercise.

With the decreased elasticity that comes with aging, connective tissue becomes denser and stiffer. The antidote is to warm up gently while stretching all muscle groups for at least 30 seconds each. Decreased water content, particularly within spinal discs, is corrected by staying hydrated; and reduced peripheral blood flow, oxygen delivery and utilization is improved by lengthening warm-up and cool-down times, and breathing from the diaphragm.

Hall says that knee injuries are among the most common complaints that walk — or rather limp — into his center. “Some of [the knee injuries] are caused from maneuvering from a position called ‘getting into the back seat,’” says Hall, referring to a ski stance that looks like a person is about to sit down because his/her weight has gotten too far back. “When the skier loses a sense of balance and tries to pop up, he or she tears the ACL [anterior cruciate ligament]. Other knee injuries, such as MCL [medial collateral ligament], medial and lateral meniscus tears and sprains, and patellar tendonitis are also among the list of knee injuries Hall treats regularly.

Hall says that to avoid injuries to the knees in the first place, it is important to condition them through strengthening and flexibility exercises, as well as addressing issues of balance. “The more flexible you are, the less prone you are to getting sprains.” Hall guides clients to improve flexibility around the knees through strengthening of quadriceps, calves and hamstrings. “As you get strong around the joint, you decrease the impact and can compensate for degenerative changes within the joint.” Hall adds, “Weight training is important for increasing bone density and muscle strength. But it also results in weight loss, because of increased metabolism. There is a four-to one ratio [that applies to] the weight someone is carrying and joint stress. An extra 20 pounds on the body equates to 80 pounds of stress on the joints.”

Knee injury treatments are closely followed by shoulder, back and neck complaints. “Common upper body injuries include dislocated shoulders; rotator cuff tears resulting from acute trauma; and wear and tear resulting from some kind of past injury.” Hall emphasizes that a skier should condition the upper body for [ski] poling, thus protecting him/herself from injury in case of a fall.

“It is never too late to start an exercise program,” says Hall, stressing that routines should be fun and varied so that the athlete stays committed. “Exercise with friends or a spouse, if possible. The social aspect of exercise is very healthy for emotional and mental well-being.” Hall recommends beginning with low impact exercises such as biking, swimming, walking, cross-country skiing, yoga and strength training, but he underlines the importance of athletes participating in sports within their individual skill levels.

Jewels Harrison, a certified personal trainer at Silver Mountain Sports Club, guides her fitness clients through a series of progressive exercises that address core [abdomen, back and hips] strengthening, balance stability, and encourages aerobic activities that enhance the cardiovascular system. “When clients first come to me, I observe their movement and postural patterns and suggest corrective exercise training,” says Harrison. “We work on injury prevention training.” Harrison stresses that correcting postural deviations is at the foundation of strength training.

“We’ll get you strong from your strongest position rather than while you are holding poor postural positioning, which can result in chronic pain or injury.” Harrison guides a client to add movements of increased levels of difficulty while holding postural corrections, addressing core and balance stability. “As you improve, it is my job to keep you working at and increasing the improvements you make so you don’t plateau,” she says. “This work translates to any sport or activity outside of the gym.”

Harrison cautions “armchair athletes,” though. “You can have a wealth of knowledge about how to exercise, but it takes doing it to be effective.”

Sedona Callahan can sing (or hum) “When I’m 64” all the way through.