One of the reasons why I love being The Geriatric Gymnast is because of all the personal achievement epiphanies that have popped up throughout the years of training. They create a deep sense of joy and satisfaction as part of my normal, every day routines. The only caveat to that joy is that, almost in a cyclical fashion, I’ve experienced a phenomenon that with some leaps forward, there’s also some injurious event that forces me to hit the brakes.
With gymnastics being a naturally risky pastime, it’s almost inevitable that injuries will occur. No one’s form is completely perfect and sometimes, bad things happen to good gymnasts. Ah, for the love of the sport…
Since starting my flipping journey at 36, I’ve experienced all sorts of “whammies”: stubbed toes, bruised shins, sprained/broken fingers, twisted ankles. Fortunately, they healed fairly quickly and didn’t take me out for too long. But in recent years, I’ve suffered a few more significant boo-boos that gave me pause.
Some of the more injurious incidents
Number one
In the spring of 2023, I was working on a bunch of back handspring and twisting-related skills. I was trying to clean up my technique, bring them back to the TumblTrak, and battle Mr. Lizard while doing so. I was dealing with chronic lower back pain when a shoulder impingement started to surface.
By June, the pain and restriction was significant enough to seek an MRI in July. It revealed a host of disc herniations and shoulder impingement issues. I spent that summer in physical therapy for the shoulder.
Somehow, someway, my back issues abated as the shoulder healed. I think the combination of laying off the skills that were aggravating it, in conjunction with anti-inflammatory medication that calmed it down. Shockingly, I was pain-free by August.
Number two
As I started ramping up the skills again in August, I got a little braver and decided to transfer my easy roundoff-back tuck skills from the trampoline to the TumblTrak. I landed the first one, nervous but unscathed.
Unfortunately, landing the second one, my ankle twisted and I broke the fifth metatarsal on my right foot. Boo…Hiss.
After a couple of months, the bone recovered completely and I eased back in. I had a pretty good run for about a year. I even attended my first gymnastics camp at FlipFest in August 2024, where I gained some new skills, bolstering my courage.
Number three
That fall, I decided it was time to retrain roundoff back handsprings on the TumblTrak. It was a slow and cautious process. My shoulder felt good, my form was improving, and I wasn’t overdoing anything. I listened to my body and brain and kept checking in to make sure I wasn’t creating an overuse injury situation.
Then, out of nowhere, on a landing I had done many times, my Achilles tendon snapped. Another much longer recovery ensued.
Number four
A year later, I had recovered through the painful and frustrating rehab process. I participated in my first competition season and in the summer of 2026, I went back to FlipFest for more fun and challenge. There, as I broke through some fears, I noticed my left shoulder was talking to me again. It wasn’t super loud, but it was there, especially when I did the new flyaway dismount I had learned that summer. By September, I knew I needed to get it checked out.
Fast forward through doctor visits and physical therapy (no MRI this time), I can say the shoulder is showing improvement. Not out of the woods yet, and I must be very careful with what and how much I do.
Seeking balance
The adult athlete’s health and fitness experience is such a careful balancing act. We work hard to stay strong and mobile, despite the natural wear and tear of age. We strive to gain and maintain skills, all whilst avoiding injuries. Unfortunately, no matter how careful I am with prehabbing, it seems like there’s some sort of annoying injury that manages to creep in (or burst through). It’s aggravating, to say the least, because it really gets in the way of my fun times.
For “someone my age” (how many times have I heard that?), I’m in great shape. Doing gymnastics all this time has been a huge contributor to that effort.
And, in the same breath, everything feels so much harder than my 20- and 30-year old counterparts. They warm up a little and get right to it. The guys especially seem to have spring-loaded feet which send them sky-high when they flip. Am I jealous that I don’t have such access to my fast-twitch muscles? For sure.
I have to spend an eternity warming up. I check and re-check my joints on the different surfaces to make sure the soft tissues respond the way I need them to when it’s time to take a pounding. There’s always a little fear when I start the workout, because I’ve been betrayed by my body numerous times when I least expect it. (See the section above.)
And then, there’s the recovery factor. Gym workouts, especially the more energetic ones, wipe me out. I get home and collapse. Falling asleep on the couch is a regular occurrence.
Once I sit, even for a few minutes, getting up is so hard. I’m not exaggerating. There’s a joint and muscle freeze that makes me feel like I’m 80 years old. The crochety-ness of my body is very real, even if the next day is not filled with DOMS-related ouchies.
And before you say, But you’re a gymnast. You’re an athlete. You’re in great shape!, remember that I’m not bullet-proof. I’m a regular, middle-aged human who is doing all the athletic stuff while managing all the life stuff like everyone else. Most of that is non-gym related. Despite all my postings about flipping, my entire life is not spent in the gym.
Just like you…
- I’m aggressively fighting midlife decline.
- I wake up at 5:30 am and work full time in a physical job that taxes my energy. I’m exhausted after work.
- I spend lots of time figuring out how to eat as much protein and fiber as I can, which is frustrating because it feels impossible to keep up with the recommendations to maintain muscle strength and gut health.
- I lift heavy things as much as I can, inside and out of the gym. If something needs to get picked up, I’m usually the first one to get it. Tables, dog food bags, big packages, tree limbs. But the laundry basket I often leave to my husband. Just because.
- I have adult children I’m worried about.
- I’m nurturing my nearly empty nest relationship with my husband. There’s got to be time for that too.
All of those things requires lots of physical and mental energy and time. I fit my gymnastics workouts in a few times a week, even though I’d love to extend that to more. And often, during those workouts, I’m coaching other adults. All of that together requires a well-rested mind and body, so I try to save time for shutting things down and recovering for the next day.
Trying to keep that all in check requires specific, mindful strategies when approaching our workouts. When we doomscroll and are exposed to the “fitness experts” giving us “advice,” the needs of the older athlete are usually ignored. I’m here to share my take on what we, as adult athletes, should be considering most when we work out.
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