I play medium tier co-ed soccer, have for the last dozen years or so. I just hit 40, am slowing down and taking longer to recover from injuries. I know my time at a fun sprinting competitivish level is coming to an end but… Sure, I’ll miss the new dope friend aspext of it but equally importantly, 3 nights a week for years, I’ve been so happy to play and for a few hours a week the world, the future, politics, none of it mattered, all that mattered was stopping the bad guys from putting a ball in the wrong place and hopefully making it go to the right place (I’m defence, that half of the field is up to the other 6)

I dunno. Hoped maybe one of you has had to do this before and can share some thoughts. (I just had my foot clipped pretty bad, know I’m out for a few weeks but just came back off another injury etc…)

Edit: Goodness gracious, you folks are all so kind and supportive. Thanks so much, I’m definitely feeling less dejected and much more hopeful about the next stage of living an active and wild life.

  • blarghly@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    2 days ago

    I was gonna say - do you lift? It’s easier to stay healthy when you can deadlift twice bodyweight

    • MyBrainHurts@piefed.caOPEnglish
      1·
      1 day ago

      This is true. I used to lift but it was a pretty bro-ey group/instructor and I hurt myself enough times that I switched to swimming (which I admittedly don’t do enough of.) I should probably look into another trainer and get back to moving heavy things up and down.

      • blarghly@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        1 day ago

        I recommend two things to get started training on your own. First, get a copy of the book Power to the People by Pavel Tsatsouline. Read that, paying attention to his advice for high-tension lifting technique. Then search for Dan John’s program Even Easier Strength, and apply Pavel’s techniques to that program. You can run the program anywhere between 2 and 5 days per week (whatever works for you). Workout takes about 30 min or so. And you leave feeling better than when you entered the gym.

          • blarghly@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            1 day ago

            These words will change your life:

            For the next forty workouts, pick five lifts. Do them every workout. Never miss a rep, in fact, never even get close to struggling. Go as light as you need to go and don’t go over ten reps for any of the movements in a workout. It is going to seem easy. When the weights feel light, simply add more weight.

              • blarghly@lemmy.worldEnglish
                2·
                1 day ago

                Around workout 20 you’ll be like “wtf, why is running so easy?” The trick is to not put effort into lifting challenging weights, and instead put effort into mastering the high tension techniques outlined in the book I recommended

                • MyBrainHurts@piefed.caOPEnglish
                  2·
                  1 day ago

                  You’d best believe I’m ordering these books ASAP!

                  I definitely kept getting hurt because of the bro-ey “MORE WEIGHT MOTHERFUCKERS!” attitude, keen to try the opposite.