Skateboarding : Best Sport For Middle-Aged People –

“Share this article! It could be you and one of your parents rolling around the skate park during your next skateboarding session.”

A study has discovered that skateboarding for middle-aged individuals can be very beneficial, aiding in the management of health issues, creating an opportunity to bond with their kids, and being a source of strength to handle personal struggles.

Dr Paul O’Connor, lecturer at the University of Exeter, undertook a study involving interviews with middle-aged skateboarders and observations of skateboarding communities in the UK and Hong Kong.

For the elderly, Dr O’Connor identified taking part in sports as a “spiritual outlet” in their lives. This provided them with a sense of friendship, independence and belonging to a wider group.

Dr O’Connor shared with The Independent that he had devoted a lot of his time to skateparks and was quite familiar with the skaters his age. He noted that the language used to describe skateboarding was very heartfelt and vital to their lives. This prompted him to delve deeper into the experience of growing older in a youth subculture.

According to his initial findings, the media’s portrayal of middle-aged skateboarders as desperate for attention was far from the truth; on the contrary, these veteran skateboarders were held in high esteem by their peers.

He proclaimed that their never-ending determination, combined with their expertise and know-how, was regularly used to contribute to the skateboarding community in an unofficial manner.

According to Dr O’Connor, for some, skating was about making friends and forming social ties, for others it was about having a space to be creative, independent and free, and for some it even became a spiritual outlet.

“After a break of 20 years or more, a few people started skateboarding again, mostly because of their kids. But there were other motivating factors too, such as the construction of new skateparks, the notion that it could help prevent dementia, and the fact that it looked cool on television.”

“A woman, who had gone through a breakup, decided to start anew by buying a skateboard. It was the only thing that reminded her of her childhood and brought her a sense of bliss. Skateboarding has proven to be beneficial in providing autonomy and liberty to its participants.”

Dr O’Connor underscored the advantages of skateboarding, asserting: “The rewards from skateboarding appear to be the sensation of autonomy and liberty. It is something that no one can do for you, and there are no actual regulations so you can do whatever you desire.”

His advice to those who want to start skateboarding but fear they are too old to try? He said: “Firstly you are never too old. Many of the people I spoke to – myself included – had to deal with feeling too old to skate when they reached 20. Now people are picking up boards for their first time in their fifties and sixties.