SKATE TIP OF THE WEEK
Inline secrets from the world's top skaters and coaches

This week's tip:

Skate to Stay Young
Staying Fit After 40

By Debbie Rice
 

Olympic swimmer Dara Torres won three silver medals in Beijing in 2008 and set an American record in the women’s 50-meter freestyle. At 41, she was nearly twice the age of many of her competitors.

And Torres is not the first athlete to compete at an elite level after 40. There are many others … including me.

What can older athletes teach us about remaining physically active into middle age and beyond?

Fight the real enemy

The enemy isn’t age – it’s inactivity. The widely held belief that physical decline is inevitable once we pass 30 is a myth. There is no scientific reason why we cannot continue to perform at or near our peaks well into our 50’s. Serious declines often can be staved off until our late 70’s. Your muscles have memory; keep that memory alive and well, and your body will follow suit.

Quality vs. Quantity

Push hard, but not all of the time. Older athletes must make a few concessions to their advancing age, but easing up on the throttle during workouts is not one of them.

Don’t let your training session become stagnant. Try to shoot for faster times and additional reps.

However, people over 40 should not attempt to go all out all the time. Older bodies take longer to recover from strenuous workouts than younger bodies.  Schedule more rest days without guilt. And listen to your body – if you feel exhausted, you probably need to take a break and recuperate.

Stay in Shape

Getting back in shape is good. But never getting out of shape is even better.  Athletes who remain physically competitive after 40 usually don’t have to worry about getting back in shape – most of us never allow ourselves to get out of shape.

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Debbie Rice is living proof of this week's tip. She had one of her best seasons ever the year after she turned 40, winning four inline marathons and the women's pro title in the 2008 National Roller Cup. Over the years, the Houston native has won 15 titles at Indoor Nationals and has won a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest woman on skates. (She was clocked at 61 mph on a downhill.) She was also a star on the 1990's Roller Jam television series. Currently, she lives in Tampa. She is the representative for Bont Skates in North America.
 

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Related reading:

• Skate Tip of the Week Archive
• Beginners Guide to Outdoor Racing
• Beginners Guide to Inline Skating