Susceptible to injury : why older adults are more prone to injuries during physical activity compared to young adults?

Includes bibliographical references.The purpose of this study is to better understand why the older adults ranging from ages 30 - 75 years tend to be more prone to injury (especially knee injuries) during physical activity than when they took on the same activities as a young person ranging from ages 5-25 years. My hypothesis is that age causes deterioration in specific joint cartilage, bone strength, muscle and connective tissue composition. Changes in these factors in people’s knee joints as they age can influence wear and tear on the joint during running, playing sports, and lifting weights causing an increased incidence of injury. This topic is important, because it could explain how we can prevent injuries from happening as we grow older such as stretching methods, modalities to use, specific activities for improving strength in the knee, or possible types of shoes to wear in order to prevent injuries and help the knee stay stable. I feel that doing this project with show students how to take care of their bodies (knees) as they grow older. A decline in your physical abilities begins in the twenties, therefore students can take precautions in understanding why they cannot put so much pressure and impact on such a fragile joint in order to prevent themselves form surgeries and doctor visits.B.S. (Bachelor of Science