If you’re reading this, maybe you’ve asked yourself this before. Maybe you see these fun videos of skaters effortlessly jam skating or tearing up the skate park and wonder if that could be you. I myself am a firm believer that you can do whatever you put your mind to, within reason of course. (Like all exercise, if you have any medical conditions or injuries you should consult a doctor before starting.) I figured my first blog post should look at two fairly common questions I get from people and my thoughts on them!
- Am I too old to learn how to roller skate?
- I’m not in very good shape, will I be able to skate?
I often get messages from people wondering if they’re too old to learn how to skate.. I don’t necessarily think age has any bearing on whether someone should or shouldn’t learn to skate. I happen to know some lovely ladies who began skating later in life so to speak and they are forces to be reckoned with. (Perhaps I’ll do an interview with them someday and get their perspective..) Either way, for now I’ll give you my thoughts. I think a good attitude and proper determination plays more of a factor than anything. Learning any new skill or hobby is hard and it gets frustrating. However if you’re willing to stick with it, your practice will pay off. I think society should normalize learning new skills after the age of forty because you never know what you might fall in love with. Besides age, people often also question if fitness ability plays a factor. While having better endurance may enable you to skate for longer, people of all athletic abilities can be skaters. Skating is a fun way to exercise and can be a great leisure activity. I definitely think it really depends on how you want to skate. Roller derby is a little more on the athletic side of things but it’s still a very body-friendly sport. Your average roller derby team has skaters of various body types, all working together on the track.
My biggest tip for anyone starting out is to try and have reasonable expectations for yourself. Not everyone will strap on skates and be a natural. In roller derby we always say “if you’re falling it means you’re learning” and this has been very true for me personally. You’re going to fall quite often in the beginning, I mean I’ve been skating six years now and I still fall. This is probably why I’ve always been a big advocate for protective gear, it will make you feel more comfortable on your skates and hopefully prevent any serious injuries. Learning how to fall safely is also an important skill for new skaters. Watch video tutorials or ask your skating pals to give you some tips. I highly suggest getting yourself some gear and being gentle with yourself as you learn, you never know where you’ll end up on your roller skating adventure.