Perhaps you've yet to hear of Boomeritis, a term coined to describe the tidal wave of exercise-related injuries now being seen in "Baby Boomers" (adults age 45-65).

See, middle-aged folks these days are a lot more active than their parents were after age 40 (well, most of you  anyway), but bodies haven't adapted fast enough to keep up with such active agers. Bones and joints are bearing the burden, and record numbers of ankle, knee, and rotator cuff injuries are pouring into clinics.

Spring can be particularly challenging for aging bodies. Being cooped up all winter makes your muscles and tendons stiff and thus more susceptible to strain and more serious injuries.

To avoid boomeritis and overdoing it this spring, here are a few tips (and a few supplements) to help you out:

• Don't overdo it. Start slow. Don't tackle the whole garden in a single sitting or play all 18 holes your first time out. Pace yourself with the 10% rule: Don't increase your usual activity by more than 10% at a time. Build up your endurance, and remember older bodies take longer to recover. 
• Flexibility is key. It's easy to skimp on warming up and stretching, but unwise. If everyone would just take a lesson from their feline friends and stretch regularly. Remember warming up and stretching are two distinct activities. Stretching is most effective (and safe) after you've spent a good 5 minutes warming up your muscles and joints.
• Keep your nutrition intake high and mighty. Vitamin D and calcium in particular are important for strong bones. Feeding your cells plenty or protein and nutrients helps repair muscles and other tissues to keep you moving.

Speaking of nutrition, you can also try a few supplements to keep you strong and nimble, as well as keep you on the recovery fast-track should you push it too hard.

• Joint Complex - combining glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, and collagen to help build healthy cartilage to cushion those aging joints.

• Arthro 3 - Indian curry spices, turmeric (curcumin) and boswellia, along with MSM, offer powerful anti-inflammatory protection, good for creaky joints but also for your heart, brain, and immune system.

• Fish Oil - helps the body regulate and balance inflammatory response, and is well know for reducing painful symptoms of arthritis, cystitis, bursitis, sinusitis, tendonitis, prostatitis, dermatitis, and other "itises."

• Liquid Calcium - provides balanced calcium and magnesium supplementation to keep your bones strong and resilient as you age. 
• Vitamin D3 - in addition to providing countless health benefits to the immune system and more, vitamin D3 is imperative for calcium absorption and thus strong bones.