Middle Age BJJ: 2 Years

Two years ago today I awoke from a fitness slumber by stepping on the mats for the first time. The past couple years haven't been easy. I've been sidelined more than six months by various neck, knee, hip, toes, and other joint injuries. Unfortunately I cannot train on my anniversary due to neck issues.

Chronic injury/pain is nothing new for me. I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Hypermobility Disorder. If you're curious, you can read more here, here, and here. At age 17 I had capsular shift surgery on my left shoulder to prevent subluxation (temporary, partial dislocations). My 20s were very difficult. I had a synovectomy of my left shoulder and a chunk of muscle removed from my right shoulder. Ongoing hip, back, and shoulder issues prevented me from any regular exercise. I gained a lot of weight and struggled with depression. By my 30th birthday (2006) I weighed 260lbs. My triglycerides were off the charts and HDL was around 15-20. Doc said I was a great risk of heart disease and put me on meds.

2006

I tried exercising, but weak joints from the EDS prevented me from repetitive exercises like jogging, swimming, exercise bikes, weights, etc. I really didn't have many options. So I changed my diet. I cut out almost all refined sugars and started taking a mix of joint support supplements recommended by a few doctors in England (PubMed has their paper).

By late 2009 I had dropped 20-25lbs and the supplements allowed me to start jogging on a treadmill or riding an exercise bike for 20-30 minutes a few times per week. Yet every few weeks I'd have to take a couple weeks off due to hip or knee issues.

On April 14th, 2010, co-workers Mike (Brown) and Aaron (Purple) dragged me to NOLA BJJ. Sure. Why not? Only one class. I had no idea what to expect and about died from the warm-up. Looking miserable and probably a bit green, Mike chuckles and says, "The easy part's over!" Classic. I really didn't expect to stick with it. But, amazingly, I did. And my life hasn't been the same.

So, why have I been able to train BJJ when I was unable to maintain a regular/simple workout schedule? The only explanation I can offer is that BJJ challenges the entire body and does not involve hundreds of identical repetitions like swimming, running, or cycling. BJJ is dynamic and the push/pull variation allowed my joints to strengthen over time. In the past, repetition quickly wore down my joints and forced me to take time off before I could build any significant protective muscle. Now my joints are strong enough that I can swim and jog occasionally without the hip or knee injuries.

Although my overall health and fitness is better now than it was at any point in my 20s, I don't know how long I'll be able to continue my journey. Degenerative joint disease is very common among those with EDS. It's already destroyed my neck (two herniated discs...so far) and will likely take its toll on my back (herniated discs and/or sciatica) and hands (arthritis). I'll eventually need a two-level ACDF (fusion) on my neck. I'm not sure how to avoid that. And I'm not sure how long I'll want to put up with nagging neck issues; especially when an episode can lay me out, unexpectedly, for up to two weeks in bed on morphine like it did last December.

Time to wrap this up. I can't thank my training partners and professors enough. It's been a great journey thus far and I'll take it one day at a time and not take my next training session for granted. Never know when it will be my last.