Share this episode:
In this episode, Dr. Jae ho Roh, D.C. of Revive Chiropractic in Sunnyvale tackles one of the most common questions he hears from patients: how do you stay active and feel good after 40?
Dr. Jae ho Roh breaks down the biggest mistakes people make when exercising in their 40s and beyond, and offers practical, chiropractor-approved strategies for moving smarter—not just harder.
Whether you’re a lifelong athlete or just getting back into a routine, this episode is packed with insights to help you stay strong, avoid injury, and keep doing the things you love as you age.
Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast. I’m Doctor Jae Ho Roh, chiropractor here at Revive Chiropractic in Sunnyvale, and today we’re talking about something I get asked about constantly — how do you stay active and feel good after forty?
And I love this question. Because here’s the thing… turning forty doesn’t mean slowing down. It just means you have to be a little smarter about how you move. And honestly? That’s not a bad thing.
So let’s dig into this.
Now, one of the biggest mistakes I see — and I see this all the time in the office — is what I call the “weekend warrior” trap. Someone’s been sitting at a desk all week, feeling a little stiff, and then Saturday morning they go out and just go full speed. Running five miles, playing two hours of basketball, whatever it is. And then Monday, they’re in my office with a sore back or a tweaked knee. Sound familiar?
Here’s what’s happening in your body after forty. Your connective tissue — that’s your tendons, your ligaments, the cartilage in your joints — it just doesn’t bounce back the way it did at twenty-two. Muscle recovery takes a little longer too. That’s not weakness. That’s just biology. Your body is still capable of amazing things. It just needs a warmer runway before takeoff.
So the first thing I always tell patients is — warmup like you mean it. Not a quick stretch and you’re off. I’m talking five to ten minutes of gentle movement that actually raises your heart rate a little. Walking, light cycling, arm circles, hip rotations. Get the blood moving into those muscles and joints before you ask them to work hard. This one change alone has kept so many of my patients out of pain.
The second thing — and this is really important — is to stop thinking of rest as laziness. Recovery is part of training. After forty, your body needs more time to repair and rebuild between intense sessions. If you’re sore three days after a workout, that’s your body telling you something. Listen to it. It’s not telling you to quit. It’s telling you to give it what it needs.
Now here’s something I want you to think about. Strength training. I know some people hear that and picture heavy weights and a crowded gym. But that’s not what I mean. Two to three days a week of resistance work — bodyweight squats, resistance bands, light dumbbells — that kind of consistent, moderate strength work is one of the best things you can do for your spine and your joints after forty. Muscle is protective. Strong muscles support your posture, reduce joint stress, and help prevent the kind of injuries that bring people into my office.
And please — don’t forget about mobility. Daily movement. A short walk after dinner. Some gentle stretching in the morning. These small habits keep your joints lubricated and your spine happy. You don’t have to spend an hour doing it. Even ten minutes makes a real difference over time.
Now when should you come see someone like me? Here’s my general rule. If you’ve got pain that’s been hanging around for more than a week or two — especially back pain, hip pain, or joint stiffness that’s limiting what you want to do — don’t just push through it. That’s not toughness, that’s risk. Come in, get evaluated. A lot of times, what feels like a big scary problem is something very manageable when we catch it early. We can look at how you’re moving, where the restrictions are, and help you get back to doing what you love — without making it worse.
Because that’s really the goal, right? Not just being pain-free, but actually living fully. Hiking with your family, keeping up with your kids or grandkids, playing your sport, doing your thing — for decades to come.
You’ve got a lot of great years ahead of you. And with a little intention and the right support, you can feel really good in them.
Thank you so much for tuning in today. I’m Doctor Jae Ho Roh at Revive Chiropractic, right here in Sunnyvale. If anything I said today resonated with you, or if you’ve been dealing with some nagging pain that’s holding you back, we’d love to hear from you. Come visit us, give us a call, or check us out online. We’re here to help. Take care of yourselves, and I’ll talk to you next time.
