Originally Posted by
OldLog
Back pain is rather common as we age I guess. Mine is a daily thing. I had back surgery in March of 07 and the problem has reoccured but not as severe. Cycling actually has helped ease the pain believe it or not.
It makes sense since cycling must stresses the back sufficiently to strengthen it. I know mountain biking does. I Used to suffer lower back pain periodically until I started jogging at age 26. Got a lot of pain at first, but it gradually went away over time. I would get it much less often after that.
It went away completely when I started weight training in my 40's. Now I'll get a minor pain for a couple of hours when I switch my mountain biking between the mountains and N Florida about every 6 to 8 weeks at age 69. It takes a ride or two to adapt to the drastically different conditions I guess.
Prior to age 26 I was a couch potato due to chronic asthma. I believe that was the cause of the problem. The lack of core strength likely the cause of 95% of the back problems. The age factor applies only in that one loses muscle mass rather quickly after age 40.
It's now understood that we are genetically programmed to decay after 40. Weight training with relatively heavy weights is as necessary after 40 as is aerobics. It's just not any fun.
A major benefit is a much higher energy level. You also develop/maintain far better balance, coordination and reflexes which also tend to degrade rapidly after 40. That's because weight training is about the only way to really exercise the muscle's fast twitch fibers. Cycling/jogging don't.
Al