Show Notes
This week I sat down with physiotherapist Anna Walsh, who has spent the last 26 years helping people recover from injuries, move better, and stay active as they age. Anna has seen the fitness and rehabilitation world evolve dramatically over the past two decades, from the early days of Pilates being viewed as an alternative therapy to its widespread use in rehabilitation and performance today. One of the big themes of our conversation was simple: movement matters. As we get older, many of the aches, pains, and injuries we experience aren’t necessarily caused by age itself. More often, they’re the result of reduced movement, poor loading strategies, long periods of sitting, or simply not maintaining strength and mobility over time. Why Tendons Need Load, Not Rest We spent a fair bit of time discussing tendon injuries, something many runners, gym-goers, and myself struggle with. Anna explained that tendons generally don’t respond well to complete rest. Instead, they need carefully managed loading that gradually builds their capacity over time. Too often people either push through pain and make things worse, or stop moving altogether and lose strength and function. The key is finding the right amount of load at the right time. The Hidden Cost of Sitting Another topic that resonated was the impact of prolonged sitting. Many people blame tight hip flexors, weak glutes, or poor posture on getting older, but Anna explained that much of this comes back to spending large portions of the day in the same position. The solution isn’t necessarily complicated stretching routines. It’s simply moving more frequently, changing positions often, walking regularly, and maintaining strength through the hips and legs. The Importance of Pre-Hab Before Surgery One of my favourite parts of the conversation was Anna’s discussion on surgery preparation. Her message was clear: The stronger and fitter you are before surgery, the better your recovery is likely to be afterwards. Whether it’s a knee replacement, hip replacement, or another procedure, investing time in strength training and conditioning beforehand can dramatically improve outcomes. “Pre-hab before surgery improves recovery.” The Brain’s Role in Pain We also explored the fascinating connection between the brain and pain. Anna discussed how pain isn’t always a direct reflection of tissue damage. The nervous system, previous experiences, stress levels, and beliefs can all influence how we experience pain. Understanding this doesn’t mean pain isn’t real. It means that recovery often requires addressing both the physical and neurological components of injury. Active Recovery Beats Passive Treatment A recurring theme throughout the episode was the importance of taking an active role in your own health. While hands-on treatments can be helpful, lasting improvements usually come from understanding your body, making good decisions, building strength, and maintaining healthy movement habits. The goal isn’t simply to become pain-free. The goal is to become more resilient. Key Takeaways * Movement is one of the most powerful tools we have as we age. * Tendons respond best to progressive loading, not complete rest. * Sitting for long periods can contribute to many common aches and pains. * Building strength before surgery often improves recovery outcomes. * Pain is influenced by both physical and neurological factors. * Education and self-management are essential for long-term health. * Active treatment strategies generally outperform passive approaches. If you’re dealing with an injury, preparing for surgery, or simply trying to stay active and healthy after 50, there’s plenty of practical wisdom in this conversation. Enjoy the episode. RodStrong After 50
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More from Strong After 50 Podcast
We have more health and fitness information available than ever before, yet staying healthy often feels more complicated than it needs to be. In this episode of Strong After 50, I sit down with Chris Deavin of the Substack - The Resilient Life, to discuss why getting back to basics might be the most effective approach to improving our health, fitness and longevity. We explore the importance of eating natural, nutrient-dense foods, reducing ultra-processed foods, moving consistently and building simple habits that fit around everyday life. Chris shares his experience experimenting with keto, why he believes in doing something challenging every day, and how small, non-negotiable habits can build resilience over time. We also discuss why consistency matters more than perfection, particularly as we get older, and why something as simple as a 10-minute walk after dinner can make a difference. The takeaway? You don’t need another complicated diet or training program. You need a handful of good habits you can stick with for years. Confused about what to eat? Not sure which gym program to follow? Start here: 14 programs and counting, with a new one added every month. Paid members also get the members-only chat, where you can ask me your health and training questions directly. Stay consistent. Rod
Here’s a stat that stopped me in my tracks the other day. In Australia, 42% of our calories now come from ultra-processed food. The US is at 59%. The UK at 57%. Canada at 48%. Even Japan, a country we think of as eating clean, sits at 38%. Close to half of what we eat isn’t really food. 🤦♂️ In this episode * The label test. I stumbled across a review of the best Greek yogurts in Australia, and it surprised me. The good ones have only two or three ingredients: milk, live cultures, sometimes cream. The rest add milk powder, starch, gums, gelatin and sugar. Once you get to the fruit-flavoured ones, it’s barely yogurt anymore. It’s a sugary dessert we think is healthy because of the name. * Bread is the same story. A proper sourdough is flour, water, salt and starter. Some of the soft, long-life supermarket breads have up to 15 ingredients, most of them there to keep it on the shelf longer. * The rule I keep coming back to. A doctor friend who worked on the Australian Biggest Loser would say: if it comes in a can or a packet, it’s probably not food. There are exceptions, like tinned tuna, but as a rule of thumb it’s hard to beat. * Ultra-processed food and the ageing brain. Researchers are looking at whether ultra-processed food is contributing to the rise in Alzheimer’s. I’ll dig into that research properly in a future newsletter. * Count your calories for two weeks. This is worth doing for everyone. Don’t change your eating, just track what you normally eat with an app. Most people will be genuinely surprised by what they find. * What bodybuilders get right. I learned a lot about food at a very young age when I coached my best friend for a bodybuilding competition. I read Arnold’s Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding and The Scientific Approach to Bodybuilding. Bodybuilders understand how food affects their body better than most people. * How I actually eat. Same breakfast every day. Two or three lunches on rotation. Food prep on Sunday afternoon. The same shopping list every week. And no planned cheat meals, because life always throws one at you anyway. Key takeaways * Read the ingredient list. Fewer ingredients usually means less processing. * Pick plain over flavoured. Add your own fruit. * Swap soft supermarket bread for real sourdough. * Track your food for two weeks without changing anything. Awareness comes first. * Build a routine: a set breakfast, a shopping list and a Sunday prep session. * Don’t schedule cheat meals. They’ll find you anyway. Coming up on the podcast * Chris is back this week to talk about the clients he’s training and how he coaches different groups. * Patricia, a US-based personal trainer, joins me to talk about training through menopause and perimenopause. * Anna will be back to talk about the injuries she’s seeing in clinic. * Mick is coming on after two knee surgeries in quick succession, to talk about what went wrong and what he’s learned. If you’ve missed the podcast, let me know in the chat. It’s good to be back. Join the Strong After 50 Members Hub for a library of training, eating and recovery programs. New programs added every month. Everything included for only $7US per month. Stay consistent,Rod
Prepping a few meals on the weekend got me thinking about how much easier eating well becomes when you have a little structure to your meals for the week. In this episode of the Podcast, I share what works for me: a shopping list on my phone, weekend meal prep and a handful of meals I enjoy on rotation. It means fewer decisions during the week and lunch ready to take to work when things get busy. But there’s room for flexibility. Dinner with friends or an unexpected meal out is part of life. I don’t plan “cheat days” because those occasions tend to find their own way into the week. My takeaway? Keep your meals simple, prepare a little ahead and cut back on ultra-processed food. Find a routine you enjoy and can keep coming back to. Click on the full episode above if you want the whole ramble — Episode 39. Stay Consistent Rod
Episode Summary Health and fitness is changing quickly. Every week there seems to be a new wearable, recovery tool or training trend promising better results. The challenge is knowing what is genuinely useful and what is simply adding more noise. In this episode, I discuss some of the biggest trends I’m seeing in health and fitness, from the growing popularity of recovery tools and health tracking to why strength training remains one of the best investments you can make after 50. I also share my recent experience managing quadriceps tendinopathy, the loading approach that has dramatically improved my symptoms, and why tendon injuries often require ongoing management rather than a quick fix. We also talk about the changing role of personal trainers, why flexibility in your training becomes more important as you get older, and why consistency will always beat chasing the latest fitness trend. If you’re trying to stay healthy, strong and active after 50, this episode will help you focus on what matters and ignore what doesn’t. Dr Keith Baar - * Tendon Rehab * Isometric Exercises Stay Consistent. Rod
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