Last week, I spoke about kids. This week, let’s talk about us over 35s.

I don’t want to be that “old Jiu Jitsu guy” who complains about how his back is sore, his knees don’t work like they used to, or his hands hurt the morning after grip work. I hate being that guy. It always sounds like excuses, even when it’s true! But for a minute, let me indulge in some moaning.

My back hurts. The low bit. The upper bit. Occasionally the middle bit.

My knee aches (just the left one at the moment. Like a teacher, the right one seems to take summers off)

I can look over my right shoulder, but not really my left one.

Periodically, I have to stop whatever it is I’m doing and hold my breath while my left shoulder-blade region does something. I don’t know what it does, but it sends a signal to stop moving right now, or you might get hurt. So I stop, I take a few breaths. I feel it ease, and then I keep cooking or typing or walking.

My fingers look weird. Not my words. The words of a kid I coach. He’s right. I’ll never be a model for hand soap.

There’s a lot of other niggles and knocks too. I just can’t remember them all right now.

But aside from that, I’m in pretty good shape for a guy who’s done this game for close to 30 years, and intends to do it for a long time to come.

Now what’s my point.

I sat with a friend of mine who, aside from a bit of cycling, is a full on desk jockey. He told me about his arm surgery. They had to take his nerve and realign it inside his elbow to prevent a crippling pain he was having. How did this come about? Well, it’s his mouse hand. His elbow rests on the table as he works.

Another guy I know is heading for back surgery- a fusion in his lumbar spine. His “sport”? Sitting a lot in his job, and then on his couch when he gets home. Disc compressions from bad posture.

Running's safe right? Except runners are why physiotherapists have jobs. They're all in bits.

I could tell you more, but I think you’re getting the point.

No one goes through life unscathed. And if you want to talk about long-term health outcomes, training as long as you can keeps function in your later life.

I’d sooner wake up in the morning stiff from training than wake up having done nothing. I’ll take the odd niggle for the enjoyment I get from training.

I’ll see you on the mat,

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