Avoiding injury in our pursuit of longevity

For people in midlife, momentum is everything.

Routines are powerful... but fragile.

I've never returned from an injury easily... It takes a long while to build a training routine in midlife. You started running, stopped, and started again, and now you’ve been doing it for months… that’s awesome. But an influencer has made you feel that it’s not enough, and you want to ramp it up. What do you do?

Establishing a routine isn’t hard because people lack discipline. But because life is full.

• Work.

• Family

• Appointments

• Fatigue

So when someone finally carves out time to lift, walk, train, or stretch… It’s a win. A big one.

Because that rhythm, the repetition of small choices over time is how strength is built. Not just physical strength but consistency, identity, and confidence.

And here’s what we don’t talk about enough: How fragile that routine can be!

All it takes is one injury. One fall. One pulled hamstring. One tweak that leads to a few days off… which becomes a few weeks… and suddenly, the routine is gone.

Yes, the physical setback or pain matters. But that will resolve. The real “damage” to a routine often happens between the ears.

Rebuilding a routine seems to take far more effort the second or third time around. Because now you’re not just fighting time. You’re fighting doubt. Fear of re-injury. And the mental hurdle of feeling like you’re “starting over.”

That’s why prehab or conditioning is not optional. That’s why mobility and recovery aren’t extras... they’re foundations. This is why when an injury occurs, I work tirelessly with patients to find a program they can participate in until they recover and return to their primary training.

Because if your training is about longevity, then protecting the routine is as important as showing up. Injury isn’t just lost progress. It’s lost momentum. For people in midlife, momentum is everything.