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Jimmy:
I consider weight training the ageless sport because I believe you are never too old to start working out. As a personal trainer I have had the privilege of working with many incredible people like Bob Vastine who is closing in on a 350 pound bench press just shy of his sixty-ninth birthday.  In my opinion weight training is one of the only sports that you can start later in life and still become better with age. If you don’t believe me try football instead. Just make sure that you medical insurance is paid in advance.

Lifting weights is a great way to maintain your health and reduce your daily stress.  However you must remember that longevity is the key to success. If you put stress on your joints instead of your muscles you will probably get injured before you can make any real progress.

People who start weight training late in life have an advantage because their joints are fresh and have had less wear and tear than a person that has spent the last twenty years in the gym. With proper care and a good training program you can gradually strengthen you body and keep your joints strong and healthy.

If you are currently experiencing joint pain there is obviously a problem. If you don’t address the problem it will become a chronic injury. I have known many people that wear their injuries as a badge of courage and continue doing the same workouts week after week. I’m sure you know someone like this at your local gym. First they tell you how bad their shoulder is hurt. Then they ask you to feel it crack as they rotate their arm up and down. Then they grind out another set of painful bench presses with the worst form you have ever witnessed. It’s no wonder weight lifters are sometimes called meatheads.

If you are experiencing pain it’s important to get to the root of the problem. Make an appointment with a doctor to make sure that you don’t have a serious injury. Once you are given the green light to continue working out again try changing up your workout.  Sometimes it’s a simple as doing something different.

If bench presses are bothering your shoulder try doing dumbbells presses. Dumbbells put a lot less stress on your joints. They allow you to train with a greater range of motion while strengthening your chest equally. I sometimes do my dumbbell presses on a slight incline to reduce joint stress.

If doing bicep curls is hurting your wrists switch to hammer curls. Hammer curls allow you to reduce the stress on the wrist by keeping it locked in place. They are a good alternative to traditional curls. To perform a hammer curl all you have to do is pick up a set of dumbbells turn your wrists so that your palms are facing toward each other and curl up and down as if your fist is hitting a nail.

If running puts a lot of pressure on your knees do the elliptical machine instead. The elliptical is very joint friendly because it’s low impact. Most people that have mild knee injuries can do the elliptical pain free. The elliptical is also a good choice because it burns a lot of calories too.

If doing hyper extensions is putting too much stress on your lower back try supermans. People that have weak backs should start with supermans until their backs are strong enough to move to hyper extensions. To perform a superman lay face down on the floor with your hands stretched out in front of you. Use your core to lift your arms and your legs off the ground as if you were trying to fly. Lower your arms and legs and repeat the process for the desired amount of reps.

As you can see there is more than one way to skin a cat. You just have to experiment until you find the exercises that work for you.