Why don’t I recover from workouts as quickly as I used to?

You might have noticed that, nowadays, it takes you much longer to regain your energy after exercising than it did when you were younger. Why is that, and how should you change your routine?

A great workout can be a reminder of everything your body can do. But the next day can be a reminder of the effort it takes to get there. Though feelings like stiffness and soreness typically dissipate within 24 to 72 hours after exercise, they can become more noticeable as you get older.

Dr Asad Siddiqi, chief of rehabilitation medicine at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, said that when you’re younger, you may recover from exercise without a second thought. But as you age, he said, you may need to be more intentional and do “a bit of maintenance” to keep your body ready for working out or playing sports.

We asked experts about why exercise recovery can take longer as you get older and when to consider adjusting your routine.

HOW YOUR MUSCLES RESPOND TO STRESS

When you exercise, you apply stress to your body and force it to adapt so it can respond to similar situations in the future, Dr Siddiqi said. That adaptation happens as your body remodels and regenerates muscle. Researchers believe that this recovery process can feel longer in older people for two reasons: because they can be more susceptible to muscle damage caused by exercise and slower to regenerate muscle in response.

Muscle mass generally starts to decline in your 30s, and the composition of your muscles also changes over time. Older adults lose more fast-twitch muscle fibres – responsible for force and power – than slow-twitch ones, which support endurance activities. Some researchers believe that leaves older adults more susceptible to more stress on fewer fibres. Chronic inflammation can increase with age (which scientists call inflammageing) and could impede your muscles’ ability to regenerate.

Christopher Hurst, an exercise physiologist at Newcastle University in England, said that while these changes probably influence how you recover from exercise as you age, it’s hard to know how much of an effect each one has. Some researchers think that prolonged recovery could be less of a direct consequence of biological ageing and more a result of changing activity levels as people get older. Many people are less active over time, which can also lead to muscle loss.

MODIFYING YOUR WORKOUTS

If your recovery is consistently taking longer than in the past or if you’re feeling tired and performing worse than you’re used to, consider dialling back the intensity of your workouts. Hurst said you can try reducing the number of times you work a specific muscle group during strength training, for example, or doing shorter, more frequent workouts. But it’s important to keep moving as you age, rather than getting caught in a cycle of exercising less, the experts said.

Making sure you’re hydrating and getting enough protein are also important steps if you’re noticing you’re more tired than usual, said Kelyssa Hall, an exercise physiologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. Older adults can have a reduced thirst response compared with when they were younger. Muscles also become less efficient at using protein from your diet as you age, she said, so you should try to consume protein throughout the day.

If you have health conditions that are making your usual routine painful, Dr Siddiqi recommended considering alternative activities if necessary. Hall said that lasting soreness or aggravation of an old injury can be signs you should consider a lower-impact form of movement.

But sometimes, modifying your routine can mean adding a complementary activity, rather than subtracting anything, Dr Siddiqi said. If running or biking are your only forms of exercise, for example, building muscle through strength training can help you prevent injuries.

HOW TO FOCUS YOUR WORKOUTS AS YOU AGE

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and two sessions of muscle-strengthening activities every week. Adults over 65 should aim for those same guidelines, Hall said, to the extent that you can, considering your medical history. Keep in mind, she added, that what feels like moderate-intensity exercise may be different now compared with when you were younger, and you should consult a doctor before starting a new routine.

As you get older, balance and mobility exercises are especially important to reduce your risk of falls, Dr Siddiqi said. Weight-bearing exercise can help you maintain bone density and protect you from fractures.

Giving your body time to rest – between exercises and in the days afterward – is crucial for avoiding overtraining as you age, Hurst said. Because many factors affect how long you’ll need to feel ready for another workout, from medication to the quality of your sleep the night before, don’t worry too much if you need an extra recovery day.

“Sometimes people forget that obviously we have to be in the gym and do the exercise, but really all the physiological magic happens when you recover,” he said.