Just played pick up basketball for the first time in a couple years. I’ve had shin splints for a few years as well that I only notice when running once or twice a week. Man were they debilitating today though. Felt like an old man hobbling around the court. Had to post up and shoot from the corner.

Anyone else feel like their bodies are already failing them in this aspect? Hard to come to terms with as someone who played a lot of sports growing up.


36 comments
  1. Mid 30s and I just fucking demolished my buddies on the court yesterday.

    What really helped me get back into it was slow jogging on a treadmill. I could barely do a quarter mile at first. I’m up to about two miles now and I can last at least an hour in sports now before I’m dying on the ground.

    I always lifted but I skipped cardio for a while like a dumb ass

  2. I remember people getting shin splints in high school. I also am running as well or better now in my mid-50s than I ever have. I also did my bench press PR when I was 50. I’ve found that soreness or injuries happen to underprepared tissue, which is probably what happened to you.

    I think this whole aging thing is overhyped.

  3. You’re gonna have to warm up more and stretch after. And stay on top of it if you want to stay active.

  4. I am fat, but im lucky enough (if you wanna call it that) that i stay pretty active at work, walking many miles, carrying about 30lbs of tools. It doesn’t sound like much, but something is better than nothing.

  5. I am in my mid 40’s right now. I did fuck all in terms of athletic anything in highschool. But I did start going to the gym consistently around 2008, and I started doing Judo in 2013. I am probably in better physical shape then was in my youth.

    That said, wear and tear from Judo + shitty desk posture at a desk job means my shoulders are a recurring issue. On balance, I think the activity level I have been sustaining is on balance doing me way more good than harm.

    I think that developing the physical conditioning for any activity takes some time. Jumping into a pickup game of any sort is probably a higher intensity then you want if you are getting off the couch for the first time in years. (For that matter, getting used to doing Judo was fucking rough early on. Getting thrown when you are not used to it leaves you feeling very wrecked the next day.)

    END COMMUNICATION

  6. Your body feels that way because you don’t move enough. 

    It does NOT feel like that if you are doing even a regular but moderate amount of exercise and lifting. 

    Nothing crazy required. Just something, and consistently!

  7. At some point in your 30s age will catch you no matter how in shape you are

    What I mean by that is your body will change, it won’t recover like it did before, injuries can linger for months or longer. But you should still be able to play stuff.

  8. Playing a sport is so much different than generally keeping in shape. Sprinting, jumping, cutting etc. are just harder and when you aren’t doing this stuff regularly it’s going to hurt the next day.

  9. Not a chance. I play men’s rugby and man my body feels good after. I play in the back row so tackling and being physical is a huge part of my job on the pitch. Regular off season workouts, cardio and stretching and a locked in diet (minus a few Guinness after matches with the boys)

  10. Try avoiding hard surfaces. I’ve learned to run and exercise whenever possible on grass, artificial turf, sand, and dirt. It makes a huge difference to my lower body skeletal structure: shins, hips, knees, ankles, feet.

  11. It all depends on your fitness level and history. I’m 41 and picked up basketball again around 30. I’ve had lots of injuries, but I just deal with them and keep going. I’ve got another 9 years left, easily. Stop playing if you’re hurt and see a physical therapist if you need to.

  12. I will play later this week i shoot around from time to time but i haven’t played in like 2 years i try not too i don’t trust people and the risk of injury is high im 37 atm but i still power walk/run/work out 2-3 times a week for context we shall see what happens

  13. I’ve always gotten shin splints since I started running at 23. What I’ve noticed is that I get them more often on Monday/Tuesday than the rest of the week (I rest on weekends). I hardly get them at all when I’m running less than 30 minutes a day. Try running more frequently at a lower pace and/or duration. I don’t think this has anything to do with your age. If you’re under 40, you shouldn’t be that much less physically capable compared to your 20’s.

  14. No, I actually think I’m in better shape now than when I was a kid. I didn’t really care for sports back then. They were pretty painful to me. Now, I could play sports if I wanted to, but I see tons of guys my age getting injured all the time playing them so I’ll just stick to my running and lifting, which I enjoy way more anyway.

  15. 47 year old ice hockey goalie. Helps to do other physical activity too (as in something other than your one sport).

  16. I had plantar fasciitis for 6 months and an ankle roll when I returned to playing 2-3 per week after not playing at all from age 30-33.

    Now I’m back in to it and straight killing it. My body and recovery still somewhat good but I have so much more IQ than these dumb kids or those who haven’t played as long.

  17. Yeah, got back into basketball and that’s basically everything my knees do not want.  Repeated jumping on a hard floor, lateral movement, quickly starting and stopping. 

    You gotta streeeeeeeeeeetch.

  18. Enjoy those 30s! I feel like I’ve aged more from 50 to 55 in the world of sports than I did from 30 to 50. It’s reaction time and balance, I’m plenty fit.

  19. The best thing you can do for shin splints is lose any extra weight you’re carrying around.

    That and calf exercise — do your calf raises religiously, including slow eccentric lifts. And warm up before playing. Advil/rest as needed.

    You’re not hurting because you’re old — you hurt because you’re out of shape. Been there.

    Consider low-impact exercise (biking is good) until your shins stop barking. Then make sure you’re running at least 3 times a week for at least :30. You can do this.

  20. When I hit 30 I lightened my lifting, started yoga, and my training became more focused. Played football ⚽️ at a pretty competitive level for an amateur. My body didn’t fall a part until I was 40. At 40 I had meniscus repair surgery and a year later a THR.

  21. I’m about to turn 39. I’m 60 pounds overweight. (down 50 in the last year!) And my knees are thrashed from a mcl tear when I didn’t have health insurance.

    I play pick up four days a week. do I play like I did when I was 22? Of course not.

    Do I get a great workout and have fun? Absolutely.

  22. i think a lot of people don’t realize how quick you lose fitness. if you have a sedantary lifestyle, you can go from pro bodybuilder to fat and weak in a year.

  23. I did a bunch of hot yoga sessions to recover from an injury, and then I just kind of got into it (yoga in general I only do hot sessions sometimes ) and it seems to really be helping me I haven’t been having as many injuries

  24. 35, play hockey three times a week and mountain bike a few times a week. Lifting, eating right and getting enough sleep become much more important 🤘🏻

  25. In my mid 30s, I play soccer 1-2x a week and run 1-2x a week

    I’ve had shin splints since high school, but they definitely got worse after 25.

    The number one thing for shin splints is arch support. Get really good insoles and replace the ones that come in your shoes (that are basically 1mm flat foam anyway).

    Put the insoles in all of your shoes. Either change them out depending on what you’re wearing and when, or get multiple pairs, but you should have them on every day.

  26. Being active is important for my self confidence but also long term health. I played tennis in college and still play leagues today. I’m a better player and in better shape at 35 than I was in college (cause booze)

    Stretching is also important. I just do 10 min of stretching per day and it makes me feel great.

    I have also found that intermittent fasting works great for me to stay at a weight that i feel healthy and confident.

    We aren’t going to heal as fast or be as spry as when we were in our early 20s. But we have a lot of control over how we age.

  27. that explosive movement falls away pretty rapidly. some sports you can get by on experience, others its really noticeable. i found a lot of satisfaction in coaching juniors, still active and part of the sport and out there with your kids

  28. Just hoop more often you’ll play yourself into shape. Stretching and hydrating are super important as well

  29. Calf compression sleeves for shin splints has been huge for me. I’ve seen them be big helps for others as well.

  30. I did mma from 35-37. No real injuries besides bruises and soreness. Then that summer I joined the 30 plus flag football league. I broke 2 fingers, watched a teammate break a collar bone, an opponent shatter his ankle and another get knocked out cold. I went back to mma it feels safer and more respectful than any ball sports

  31. No.

    You stated your problem “had notnplayed in a fe years”

    What about training overall?

    If you aint training, you gonna lose a lot.

Leave a Reply