My personal opinion is that yes, it’s from aging. But as I understand it, the pain is from not exercising for an extended period of time and will improve if it is continued. Even people with arthritis can get some pain relief with exercise and stretching, but I have to do it on a regular basis. My orthopedist’s motto is “Stretch for life”. My mother, when in her 70s, could bend over and put her hands flat on the floor. She did stretching every morning. Me…not so much. I can reach my calves, and it hurts! But that’s because my muscles have shortened from disuse.

Try low impact exercises like stationary bike, aqua exercise and isometrics.

A few years ago I got a job working in a retirement center. One of the “perks” was free lunch. But after a month working there, I found it increasingly painful to bend my joints (and my job was very physical). The only thing different about my life was the change in diet, so I started bringing my lunch from home.

Within a week my joints started to improve.

The difference between my food and the food they served was I only used quality oils. I felt sooo badly for the poor residents who had no choice but to eat that terrible food!

So check your diet first!

What sort of pain are you experiencing? Is it a dull, achy sensation, telling you that you’ve worked out effectively and achieved something? Or is sharp pain, letting you know that you’ve injured something or exacerbated an existing problem?

If it’s the first type, pat yourself on the back and be proud. Everyone who exercises seriously, regardless of age, experiences that achiness. When you’re new to workouts, the sensation can be severe and last for a couple of days. Over time, as you become stronger and more fit, it diminishes and is gone within ½-to-1 hour.

If you have sharp, acute pain, however, please listen to your body. Something’s wrong.

You likely did too much too soon for your current physical fitness level and your age.
Getting advice from an experienced gym expert will be very helpful to you.

I’m 72 and very physically active. I started going to the gym twice a week since last September. And volunteer physical fitness trainer there was very helpful to me. He helped me to avoid excessive muscle pain and injury while gaining strength.

The keys things to remember:
If it start to hurt then back off (don’t force it)
The range of motion when using machines and free weights should be in your comfort zone.
Weight training is not a race to build strength quickly. It takes time, patience, consistency and determination.

Yes you can get stronger (up to a point) as an older person. I’ve doubled my strength in 11 months. That’s not the best part. I feel stronger and that has given me confidence to achieve much more.

Good luck and good health to you.

Yes, and keep in mind it can also be from a poor diet and lack of rest. I’m going through that right now. I’m slowly starting by trying to walk and average of 2.5 miles a day. I find if I rest for a whole day then the next day I’m stiff. Stretching before and after exercise will help a lot. You need to warm up your muscles before engaging them in activity that isn’t usual.
Another thing you can do is break up your exercises. Instead of one long exercise, try to break it up into 2 or 3 times in the day. So if you were planning an hour-long workout it would be 3 workouts 20 minutes long so you don’t strain your muscles.

Though for start you shouldn’t do no more than 20 to 30 minutes a day and then add 5 minutes every 5 days as you get adjusted to the routine. People start out hard and then injure themselves and suddenly you are unable to do anything for a few days and its hard to get back in rhythm.
Also, drink plenty of water. Keeping hydrated is important. Here is a list of foods and supplements that can help with your muscles healing. Also if you have a massager it will help. This article will explain better what causes the soreness in your muscle. I know this is true. I would always feel the pain 2 days after a strenuous workout. I guess as we get older the tears will happen more frequently until our bodies have repaired all the old damaged cells.

It is natural but gets better as your body gets used to it. I started a new job a few months ago that requires a lot of walking, 2–4 miles per day, and a lot of heavy lifting. My body was not used to this activity and was sore for several weeks. It took me about two weeks for my body to get used to the walking. It’s taking a bit longer for me to get used to the heavy lifting, and that all depends on if I’m lifting correctly. I’m 52.

The good news is I’m down about 7 lbs and have gained muscle.