As we get wiser (I try never to say older), it seems we take a lot longer to recover from injuries. Even if we have injuries, we have no idea how they occurred. I personally am always amazed how I get injured sleeping — waking up in pain in an area that had nothing to do with anything. A lot of these things occur due to overuse versus an accident or a bad movement. Trying to get or be healthy, exercise, even in its simplest and lightest form, can cause issues, especially for beginners or people starting a movement program.

These things happen when the training load rises faster than your tissues can adapt to it. Your tendons, muscles, and ligaments get stronger in response to stress, but that takes a lot of time. Weeks, if not months. Even without a specific time-point injury, if you’re not recovering, everything starts to hurt. Treating the concern with rest, ice, compression and elevation will help the symptoms but not the cause. The treatment is slow progressive loading.

Optimizing form and technique in your exercise is vital. This may mean getting a physical therapist to assist you in proper movement and method. Start slowly and go slowly. It can also involve optimizing yourself from the inside out. Making sure your hormones are adequate and balanced. All of them. Thyroid hormones, sex hormones, brain hormones, adrenal hormones, gut hormones.

Optimizing your diet can affect your back pain as much as any medication. Avoid processed foods, carbs and sugars in the evening before bed. Try it. Amazing results. Recovery peptides such as BPC157, TB500, and the growth hormone-releasing hexapeptides that increase growth hormone availability can all be of great benefit. But it still comes down to movement and increases in your movement, slowly but surely. We all have the guarantee of decay, but it is something we can combat and live the best life possible.

No matter what your starting point, whether you have ever exercised or not, optimal health and quality of life depend on your movement (muscle contraction). Muscle contraction with slow and progressive increases will optimize your health and quality of life.