Do any of these sound familiar?
These are all reasons people give for “feeling” older – despite the fact that their actual age hasn’t changed since yesterday. For many, these aches and limitations are the tipping point where they slow down and accept: I’m getting old.
Meanwhile, I work with clients in their late eighties and even nineties who are doing the opposite – speeding up. One of my clients is an 88-year-old woman training for a week-long hiking adventure in Europe next summer. Another is a 93-year-old man who’s playing the best golf he’s played in years, playing nine holes nearly every day. They aren’t just maintaining; they’re thriving.
The Real Cause of Nontraumatic Pain
The first reaction most people have to these stories is, “Well, they must have good genetics.” And sure – sometimes genetics help. But in my fifteen years of practice, I’ve seen “good” genetics account for less than one percent of the outliers who continue living fully into their eighties and nineties. The truth is that the way people experience pain often dictates how old they feel.
I can’t count how many times I’ve heard, “I didn’t feel old until this pain wouldn’t go away.” Pain – whether physical or psychological – creates a limitation. And we tend to equate limitations with aging. Once that association is made, the cycle feeds itself: I’m not going to do that because of my knee/back/shoulder, or I used to be able to do that when I was younger. Without realizing it, you’ve admitted you’re “too old” for certain activities.
Here’s the reality: 99.9% of nontraumatic pain is caused by weakness, and that means 99.9% of it is preventable.
Nontraumatic pain means there was no accident – no fall, no collision, no sudden injury. You simply woke up with your shoulder hurting. You were walking down the stairs when your knee started aching. You bent over to pick up a pencil and your back “went out.” Or one of my personal favorites: “We got new floors, and now I have plantar fasciitis.”
These are not arthritis, rotator cuff tears, or bone-on-bone issues (despite what X-rays sometimes show). They’re caused by weak muscles that can no longer support the load your daily activities demand.
The good news is that weakness is not permanent. Muscles respond quickly when challenged the right way, often faster than people expect. I’ve seen clients who suffered with chronic pain for years regain strength and feel relief in just a few weeks of targeted training. The body is designed to adapt, and when you provide the right stimulus, even decades of discomfort can begin to unwind. This is why addressing the root cause – weakness – can transform not only how you move, but how young and capable you feel.
But this is not what mainstream medicine tells you. In fact, the causes I’m about to share are rarely discussed in an orthopedic surgeon’s office.
The Culprits
Let’s cut to the chase.
- The number-one cause of back, hip, and knee pain: Sitting.
- The number-one cause of foot pain: Wearing shoes.
- The number-one cause of neck, shoulder, and elbow pain: Poor posture, most often from sitting in overly comfortable chairs.
Why is sitting so bad? When you sit in a chair, your glutes turn off. Over time, any muscle that “turns off” will weaken. Once your glutes weaken, your hips, knees, and back lose their primary stabilizers, and the strain shifts to your joints.
Shoes – especially supportive shoes or those with orthotics – have a similar effect on your feet. They do the work that the muscles of your feet are supposed to do. Over time, those muscles get weaker. Then, when you walk barefoot or in less supportive footwear, your foot structures (joints, tendons, ligaments) take on too much stress, leading to inflammation and pain.
And that cushy recliner you love? It’s doing your posture muscles no favors. Soft, slouched seating turns off the muscles in the middle of your back. When you stand up, those muscles are too weak to fight gravity. Your shoulders round forward, your head juts out, and you start compensating with your neck and shoulders, which eventually leads to pain in the neck, shoulder, and even elbow.
If you think I’m exaggerating, consider this: It’s extremely rare to find widespread hip arthritis, knee replacements, chronic back pain, or plantar fasciitis in third-world countries. One major lifestyle difference? They don’t use chairs and supportive shoes nearly as much as we do (if ever).
In many cultures, squatting is a daily necessity – whether it’s for cooking, working, or relieving oneself. That deep “ass-to-grass” squat keeps the glutes and hips strong for life. Now be honest – how many of you reading this could drop into a full squat right now, hold it for a couple of minutes, and stand back up without pain? For most Americans, that’s unthinkable. But in cultures where squatting is part of daily life, people maintain that strength and mobility until the day they die.
Which brings me back to my favorite question: “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?”
So, How Old Are YOU?
I first saw this quote on the bathroom wall of one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in town, where I typically celebrate my birthday. Every year, I pause and truly think about it.
This year, I turned 40 – and my answer was 28. Last year, at 39, I said 35. The difference? Last year, I was dealing with a nagging shoulder injury. This year, I feel fantastic. I’ve hit more personal records in the gym than I have in the past ten years. I’m moving better, lifting heavier, and recovering faster.
It’s no coincidence that I “felt” younger this year. The stronger and more capable my body is, the younger I perceive myself to be.
The point is this: Your “age” isn’t just the number of candles on your cake. It’s how well your body moves, how resilient it is, and how much you can do without pain holding you back. Weakness accelerates aging. Properly coached strengthening reverses it.
So the next time you find yourself thinking, I’m getting old, pause for a moment. Ask yourself instead: Am I getting old – or am I just getting weak? The answer to that question could change everything.
Dr. Jake Berman, PT, DPT, is a physical therapist and the owner of Berman Physical Therapy, where they focus on treating the actual problem causing your symptoms (pain) to help you avoid taking pain pills and dangerous surgeries. So, if you’re tired of feeling “old” and you are looking for another way to keep active and mobile, call Dr. Berman at 239.431.0232 to take advantage of a FREE 30-minute taster session!