If exercise is is so good for you, then why do athletes have to retire by the age of 35?

Question

Seriously, they either start to have a bad back or a knee reconstruction. I'd rather sit on the couch and watch wrestling.

Answer 1

I would like to know the same thing! I was a competitive gymnast, then as I got older I was a professional acrobat and from there became involved in competitive bodybuilding and power lifting. I am a 41 year old woman who feels trapped in the body of a 90 year old woman! haha When I was younger people used to tell me, "You're going to be sorry when you get older!" and I would think, "Yeah, right!". Well, I must say that I wish I had not abused my body so much. But, I think it goes back to the old adage of "Everything in moderation.". We strive to be the best, we strive to always accomplish more and in the end it comes back to haunt us. I can't even imagine how much pain an NFL player feels when he wakes up in the morning!

Answer 2

They over train. The normal amount of exercise you can do til you are 80 but if you push your body too much it can only give up because it can not handle all the stress put on it daily. Kinds like if you worked 20 hour shifts everyday for 1 year you will be ok for a while once you get used to the schedule but by the end the next year your body will start getting sick because it is trying to recover and can't because you do not rest enough. It is better to exercise moderately for 50 years than hard for 20 years.

Answer 3

Exercise is great for you...in moderation. Once you push your body to the extreme enough , then you start blowing out knees etc as your body breaks down and cannot handle the stress. But most athletes are still in better shape when they retire than the average American. They just can't play their sport at an elite level anymore and compete with the younger, fresher players.

Answer 4

Same reason your toyota corolla (when driven and serviced properly) will last 20+ years and toyota's F1 racing cars will only last a race or two.

We (and the toyota's) are not designed to work at maximum performance all the time. As many people have mentioned to your question. All things in moderation.

Answer 5

Everything that is doing "too much" or "not enough" is dangerous.

There is a big difference between being an amateur and a professional athlete! Being inactive (sitting on the couch) is going to damage your arteries too.

Nothing is "all good" or "all bad", it's a matter of balance.

Answer 6

They do more then exercise, they pound on their bodies all the time. Playing pro sports adds years to your body and bones. At 35 their bodies are more like 55.

Answer 7

the cont. strains on the bodys joints etc. There's a difference between working out and doing work out as your job.

Answer 8

people start to slow down and harder to keep up with the young when you get older