picking up athletics later in life

[Pequenita]

I've been really impressed and inspired by the number of women on these boards who have picked up skiing later in life and thought I'd share this article from the NY Times about athletic training (mostly aerobic stuff like running) and older athletes.

Hope I'm still hitting it hard in 30 years!

Personal Best: Staying a Step Ahead of Aging, by Gina Kolata

 

[Kimmyt]

In some ways, I think people who start athletics at a later age may have some sort of advantage, in that they may not get frustrated as easy with the 'i used to be so much better/faster/stronger when i was younger!'

 

[MaineSkiLady]

I'm not later, I'm better!

Or is it, I'm not getting older, I'm getting better? Okay, look, you young whipper-snappers, just watch who yer callin' "later!" OMG, in 30 years, I'll be dust on the snowfields at Sugarloaf

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Yesterday's gone. Tomorrow's not here yet. All we have is the gift of today. That's why we call it the "present."

 

[atlantiqueen]

I don't know if I qualify as "later in life" but....

I was a dancer most of my younger life (until about age 24/25) but otherwise was not super involved in sports. I did a little figure skating and speed skating into my early teens and have been actively snowshoeing and x-country skiing since I was a toddler.

I picked up kickboxing at 25 and let it go after 2 years (I felt guilty beating up 14 year old boys - the only ones in my weight class!), sailboat racing & abseiling at 27, golf at 29, yoga at 30, rock climbing & sea kayaking at 31, white water kayak & canoe at 32, mtb at 33, and alpine skiing in earnest at 34. I'm 35 on the cusp of 36 and thinking about what my next one will be....

Do I have an advantage? I'm not sure. Yes, I am more likely to pay attention to my body but I am also more likely to re-injure parts.

The one clear advantage I have is that in my 30s I am able to purchase appropriate gear and instruction. In my 20s I have been less able to pay for most items and my parents certainly would not have been able to afford any of them when I was a child.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Having pre-dated Title IX by a long shot, organized sports in school were not an option for me. It was up to me to do stuff on my own. I was always an outdoor/tomboy kid, couldn't hack indoor stuff, esp anything sedentary (sounding like ADHD here...). But still was frustrating when in school to have to sit and watch the boys... ....

I think I wanted to ski as soon as I saw the Olympics on tv in 1964 (boy, does this date me or WHAT?)---it was one of the first well-televised Winter Olympics. As soon as I got a good look at downhill skiing, I thought "that's for me!" Unfortunately, it was another 11 years before the opportunity became reality. It wasn't going to happen on my parents' dime. At this point, I was a post-grad adult earning $ to spend as I saw fit.

So, as we say, "better late than never!" I don't think there is a maximum age to start learning and enjoying skiing. I think there would certainly be some prudent fitness requirements, in order to avoid injury. And the older one gets, the more perseverance has to happen both pre-season and all year round.

At my fitness center, there are bonafide testimonials of people who have reversed osteopena/osteoporosis, gotten rid of (type 2) diabetes and glucose intolerance, lost 100+ pounds! Incentive enough...

 

[CMCM]

Well, I definitely took up skiing later in life....I went into it seriously about 4 years ago at 54.....before that, I just did different things....mountain biking in summer, sometimes walking or running, swimming, scuba diving, I go to the gym regularly and lift weights. I've always done various different things at different times in my life and have never been a total slug about it. However, I feel I've been the MOST active during the last 5 or 6 years.....you have to take exercise seriously as you get older, you can't be sloppy about it or you WILL start to fall apart! I don't know anyone in my age group (personally) who is as active as I am, and consequently, most people I know around my age are looking and acting pretty shockingly old and out of shape. Their choice, I guess, but I'm determined not to get like that. I feel so GOOD when I'm regularly doing strenuous physical activity....I don't feel any different than when I was 30, and in fact, I'm probably in better shape now than I waas then! I LOVE to go skiing where I see people in their 60's, 70's, even older out there skiing and having great fun. I just saw Hans Obermeyer on a Warren Miller show....he's 85, and he was skiing and doing flips just like the boys.....totally inspirational.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

I don't know anyone in my age group (personally) who is as active as I am, and consequently, most people I know around my age are looking and acting pretty shockingly old and out of shape. Their choice, I guess, but I'm determined not to get like that.

Ditto. I have friends who have had hip replacement surgery, have heart disease, have broken bones due to osteopena/porosis, do no exercise, are 70+ lbs overweight......sad, because some of these conditions are certainly avoidable and preventable. The fact that I am still very active provokes a very negative response from them. Causes rift. Sad for all. I have more in common with divas here 20+ years younger.

 

[Solincia]

Ditto. I have friends who have had hip replacement surgery, have heart disease, have broken bones due to osteopena/porosis, do no exercise, are 70+ lbs overweight......sad, because some of these conditions are certainly avoidable and preventable. The fact that I am still very active provokes a very negative response from them. Causes rift. Sad for all. I have more in common with divas here 20+ years younger.

That's sad that it causes problems between you and your friends. There is probably an envy factor in all of that, but you can't worry about what others say... taking care of YOU is the most important thing you'll ever do. If you don't, you can't be there for your family and friends, and can't enjoy life and be happy!

I can definately relate to what Kimmyt said "In some ways, I think people who start athletics at a later age may have some sort of advantage, in that they may not get frustrated as easy with the 'i used to be so much better/faster/stronger when i was younger!"

When I was a kid, since the age of 5, I played soccer, softball for 9 years, volleyball for 7, track & field for 5, went to the state meet, placed in the discus, was captain of my volleyball team... still hold records at my highschool, skied for 5 years... and lifted weights and trained for a good 5 years. When I was 22-23, I realized that the working world was getting the best of me, so I started working out again... that didn't last more than a year. Now at almost 30 <one month away> I find myself overweight, out of shape, and as I posted in my thread from skiing yesterday... yes, frustrated about what I "used" to be able to do.

I was talking to my mother about it last night after I dropped off my niece. One thing you have to know about my mother is she's 52, in awesome shape, and looks 10 years younger! She reminded me that I'm never too old to get back to where I was.. take the time for *me* and get back into shape. I've never lost my athletic spirit, just the "action"...
I'm really happy to be skiing again, it's inspiring and fun! I think I've been missing that.

 

[CMCM]

Ditto. I have friends who have had hip replacement surgery, have heart disease, have broken bones due to osteopena/porosis, do no exercise, are 70+ lbs overweight......sad, because some of these conditions are certainly avoidable and preventable. The fact that I am still very active provokes a very negative response from them. Causes rift. Sad for all. I have more in common with divas here 20+ years younger.

Same here. I don't know that people my age are especially negative towards my activity and life, rather, they just don't "get it." I therefore can't really relate to them at all on any level.....when I'm around such people I feel like I'm around someone a generation (or more) older, they don't feel like peers. All this goes to show how much of this is entirely in your head...it's about how you think, and how you think leads to how you act. Somebody said "Age is a state of mind." SOOOO true, I've found. My sister in law is 4 years younger than I am, and her attitude is that she's getting old, she can't control anything about her life, menopause is a sickness and she suffers greatly from it. She doesn't exercise, eats junk, is 40+ lbs overweight, depressed, does nothing at all to move her body around, has no hobbies. It's almost like she's waiting to die. Yikes! Here's a quote I heard that I like: "I want to die young at a very old age." My thoughts exactly.