Aging Versus Muscle Tone

My birthday comes at the wrong time of year.  The end of February often sees the first pleasant days following winter's  worst. And being a fair weather gardner, I made my way outside this fair morning and began raking and burning leaves with a vengeance.  The problem came when my flurry of activity intersected with lack of conditioning born of winter dormancy. In a word--I hurt!  Now, back to the birthday factor.  With every inch of my body aching, I cannot help but view this pain within the context of my 51st birthday just two days away.  I'm getting old-that has to be the reason for the pain racking my muscles--inevitable and unavoidable decay.  No concession to sedentary months of physical inactivity, comfortably tucked away in warm seclusion.  Is it old age or absence of muscle tone?  For some strange reason, it's easier for me to lay blame at the wrinkled feet of aging than to my own failure to exercise.