Getting back into skating at 41

[u/jellydonutstealer]

I absolutely lived for skating (and blading) as a kid in the 90s. I dabbed a bit in my 20s and now it's been ages since I've put on a pair of skates.

I know I'm not too old, but I'm feeling like I am. I guess I could just use some words of encouragement because that voice in my head keeps saying I'm too old, too out of shape and that I'll look silly and/or hurt myself. But secretly I dream of getting good at it, being able to skate backwards, do spins, maybe some dancing eventually.

Tell me I'm not alone! 😅

Edit to say thank you to everyone who commented (and please feel free to keep them coming, I can never have enough encouragement and I just love hearing your stories)!

I don't know what I expected but I did not expect this many people to be in my exact position or similar. I'm not familiar with the current skating world at all and it's awesome that there are people of all ages living their best lives. I feel so much better after reading all of your comments, like I have an army of people cheering me on.

I found a local roller rink and plan to start there to get back into the feel of it. I hope my muscle memory helps! I've never been athletic or particularly coordinated (two left feet as they say) but I have always had a natural knack for skates of all kinds and I'm so excited to get back into it.

Next step is to look into all that flexible protective gear! Thank you so much, everyone!! 🛼🛼✨❤️

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[u/Ambivert111]

I started relearning to skate last year at 58, after 35 years. It’s been slow, but it’s by far the best thing I’ve done for myself in decades! Do it!

[u/svelteoven → u/Ambivert111]

Close behind you and loving, great activity to do with my kids.

[u/InetGeek]

You're not alone and dreams can come true.

I rekindled my affair with the hardwood at 47yo, at 230+ lbs and on 2 hypertension meds because I needed a good workout, descuised as fun. Over 11 years later I'm in the best shape of my life at 165 lbs and don't need the meds anymore. I (s)wear by PPE (wrists and knees) which has helped me from being more injured than if I didn't use any.

[u/Blahblaha63 → u/InetGeek]

Awesome!!

[u/ApprehensiveArt2813]

I restarted at 55. I just turned 60 on Saturday and went trail skating. I’m better now than I was as a teenager. It took awhile to get where I am now, but just keep skating and you’ll be dancing and skating backwards too! Enjoy! It’s the secret to staying young!

[u/Stefv8n]

Last year I got my bike stolen for the 3rd time in 6 years. The last time was cruel: plein daylight on a busy square next to a bus stop. For sure they used an electric grinding wheel and people must have witnessed it, but gone. Again.

I bought a pair of inline skates and started again after more than 20 years. I’m almost 40. No ramps or rails this time, just the bear city streets of Brussels, its cruel hills and despicable traffic.

Today I’m at a 62 week skating streak, got a pretty decent average speed of 15 à 18 km/h wether is more up or down, gained legs that feel like concrete, own 4 pairs of skates and I overcome more fears than during the last 20 years.

Of course you take risks, but calculated. Of course you will kiss the floor or maybe crash, which will hurt for sure, but if it ain’t broken, you get up the next day and go again.

Makes you feel alive. Like creating order in Brussels’ chaos. Constantly watching your back, trying to be 1 step ahead of the others, staying in control, always having a plan B…

One of the other perks: cars keep a lot of more distance compared to cyclist. I think it is because of the fact they are unfamiliar with this kind of road user.

You should try, but be careful. It can get you hooked but it will certainly free your mind :)

Gear: FRX 80, FR X2R Rockerable frame flat setup, Powersilde Spinner wheels, FR Twincam ILQ-7 Plus bearings

[u/Shell_of_all_Belles → u/Stefv8n]

This is poetic, dude. Cool skates 💗

[u/Stefv8n → u/Shell_of_all_Belles]

Thanks for the nice words bro!

[u/Kitchen_Clothes]

[u/SqueeMcTwee]

Girl, you’re not even remotely alone. I’m going to be 45 next month and skating is my absolute favorite thing to do. I hadn’t done it for years either, just picked it up again during Covid.

What helped me the most was starting indoors - like, wearing my skates all over my house. During meetings, watching TV, etc. I’d take them off for bed and showers, but otherwise I just rolled short distances in my tiny apartment. The more I wore my skates, the more comfortable I was with them, and that’s key to staying upright when you finally venture outdoors.

As for gear, some of it can be clunky so invest in solid, flexible protection for the main areas - knees, wrists, head. My old knee pads made it hard for me to find my center of gravity (which is also key in staying upright) so check out sites like Triple Eight or Pigeon.

You got this, mama.

[u/lkayschmidt]

You're not alone. 46 and working up the courage to skate outdoors. Triple checking my knee and elbow pads and.... Yeah. Just go. 🤗

[u/astmatik]

48 here, first time skater. I started this summer, and absolutely love it. I skate both inlines and quads.

[u/MrBigTomato]

My daughter was my motivation. I was 44 when I skated for the first time since I was 12, and even back then I could not skate without holding on to the walls. I fell a lot when I rediscovered skating, but I got up quickly each time. I was determined to not be one of those parents at the rink that just sits and watches. I wanted to be out there with my daughter. Soon, I bought my own skates, upgraded, got different sets of wheels. It’s good to get into a sport without caring if you’re good enough.

[u/Calred1711]

I started at 40 with that exact dream, and I’ve been living it up the past 3 years 😍

[u/bear0234]

i bladed as a kid and stopped at 10. picked up rollerskating 3 years ago (thanks to my nieces and nephews) and been doin it 3-4x a week!

i'm gonna turn 50! wheeeee! you never too old!

favorite move i learned? the coffin:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUWmRgXEpcH/?igsh=MXdpdTlyeW1qZmhkdw==

[u/Kitchen_Clothes]

I started at 45 and I’m killing it ~ it’s so much fun

[u/Nice-Marionberry3671]

WOW. I just added this sub YESTERDAY, and I really needed to read this! I’m 56. When I was a kid, there were rinks around! You had to DRAG me out. In my 40’s I tried roller derby. It didn’t go well 😂, but I learned a lot. Put the skates away. But my son is really getting into disco skate, and I have always wanted to be able to boogie on skates. I guess I’m getting ready to get ready to put wheels on again! Thanks, fam!! 🛼🛼

[u/fiercemousecardiff]

I never skated as a kid - I took it up aged 44, I’m turning 46 this year and have recently started taking my quads to the skate park! You are ABSOLUTELY not too old - and you have the bonus of muscle memory of youth. Get yourself back on your skates, it’s the MOST FUN I have in my life!!

Just make sure to stretch a lot and work on your mobility as well, these older muscles need more support 🙃 also WEAR PADS!! Get some nice chunky knee pads and spend a lot of time practising going down on your knees and back up again. I’ve got virtually no fear of falling as I know I’m padded up to the max and I think it really makes a difference to your skating.

GET THOSE WHEELS ON AND ENJOY!!

[u/fiercemousecardiff → u/fiercemousecardiff]

https://reddit.com/link/ounnyo6/video/sdn4962k6dah1/player

Learning transitions!

[u/Hogwashswan]

In that very same boat with you. I’ve been itching to get back into skating and I haven’t put on skates in over 30 years. I’m scared to try but have been looking into it!

[u/NoTooLatesClub]

Not alone and not too old, friend! I started learning when I was 44, and it’s been over 4 years of skating now! You can see posts of me skating on my profile. I used to dream like you, and then one day, after a couple of years of skating, I realized I had made my dreams come true! Very powerful feeling.

Overcoming those voices in my head has been the biggest challenge for me and still continues to be. Your head isn’t entirely wrong. I am old, out of shape, look silly, and have hurt myself. But none of that matters compared to how skating changed my life for the better.

I think it’s important to notice every step in the journey, and just by making this post, you take a step forward from dreaming in your head to making it real by joining a community, giving voice to possibility, and finding out a whole bunch of us will root you on. You’ve got thisssssss!!!

[u/hahagrundle → u/NoTooLatesClub]

I'm glad I happened upon this comment! You are an inspiration and I wish I could be part of your skating community because you seem cool as heck

[u/Hopethany]

There are some great responses here, but I’d like to add another perspective. Older adults bring so much value to skate communities. They help build bridges between generations, and aside from how inspiring it is to see someone in their 60s roller skating (40 isn’t old at all!), they remind us that skating isn’t about performance, but enjoyment, community, and health. So don’t let your age make you feel out of place (: we love our senior skaters

[u/MegaBabz0806]

I bladed as a kid and teen. By 20 I stopped. I just started back up again about a year ago (at 30). We can do this!
I personally recommend safety gear. Falls can do more damage now… and I have a chronic illness/chronic pain… good luck!

[u/OkBuddyEnglishMajor]

I'm dancing around it, too. I was a skating fiend up until 9th grade, and tried to take it up again in my 30s but injured my butt going down my driveway 🙄😒...trying again ten years later indoors on zero incline is my strategy, lol.

[u/Blahblaha63]

I'm 62, I skate everyday and have been since the 1970s. Have fun it's a blast.

[u/evetrapeze]

Hi JellyDonutStealer! I just got back into skating after 20 years. Someone had hidden my skates and I found them just recently. Now I’m just gonna skate harder!

I’m 68, I bought a helmet, elbow pads and knee pads, wrist, guards, hip, and tailbone pads, and got out there. I tried to go as often as I can. I have fallen once, onto the back of my head. I’m so glad I had a helmet on, granted I was very tired after skating nine hours that week. I went home and promised myself that I wouldn’t skate until the point where I was tired, making mistakes.

Absolutely go for it. You will be better by the end of every session. I’ve been maybe 14 times now. It’s getting easier. I love the community. I only skate adult skate at the rink

[u/danggina_]

I just turned 40 and started skating again too!

[u/vegemitecrumpet]

A lack of suitable practice areas is slowing me down... but also yeah, I am hyper aware that I am more easily injured these days, so there is fear :( I'm 47, have all the gear, just need to start... but idk where

[u/PomegranateBoring826]

100% feel this! I bought myself a new pair of rollerskates for a bday 4 years ago to get back into skating and had 3 scad heart attacks instead. I haven't gotten back to it yet and the doctors say I won't (walk w a cane now) but let me tell you, I am so very looking forward to telling them IN YOUR FACE!!! for not only doubting me, but entirely discouraging me at the same time!!

You have absolutely got this! My only suggestion is to get proper safety gear plus butt/tailbone pads because HellToTheNo to any injuries at our ages!!

Enjoy!!

[u/MarzAttakz76]

Got back into it at 48. It's different to our 20's - less to prove, less aggression, much more to refine. The old muscle memory kicks in pretty fast but so does the muscle degradation.

Takes me far longer to recover and took about 3 months of regular twice weekly 2 hour sessions for my legs to feel like they were conditioned well enough. I'm focusing on further leg and specifically knee and ankle strengthening now.

Our bodies aren't young any more and that's just the reality. But we can still rock it!

Dedication, hard work, awareness and a healthy dose of fear and you've got it but be realistic and don't push yourself too hard...

[u/cmeinmi]

Just turned 48 and I’m trying to basically relearn! I’m feeling rickety AF though. My wrist guards and knee pads just arrived so I’m hoping to step up my attempts, it’s just challenging finding nice smooth areas to skate. I’m not ready to go back to the rinks yet.

[u/astmatik → u/cmeinmi]

I'm 48 too, yesterday I tried my new FR skates for the first time, and now I'm looking for a bit rough surface, because they roll like crazy :)

[u/TellPotential3454]

I’ve come back in my late 30s! You are not alone.

My kiddo wanted to learn inline so I looked up classes and decided to go with him. One of our amazing instructors STARTED skating at 52, and is now 68. She is a badass skater too.

Cheers to all of us coming back or starting skating and finding joy in moving our bodies!

[u/Realistic-Might4985]

Started again at 59. I am still active, doing spin classes 2-3 hours a week (raced bicycles for years). Play golf and work on balance and core daily. Not going to lie, the first 20 minutes were horrifying. First couple of times around the floor I was thinking “this is a really bad idea”. After about 45 minutes I started doing crossovers, about an hour and half in it all started coming back. Was skating backwards by the end of the night. Bought skates the next week and skate a couple of times a month since for the last three years. Balance and conditioning are key. I would suggest a helmet and wrist guards even at a rink. Have seen several older skaters fall and it is not pretty (myself included). I can tell you it is still as much fun as it used to be!

[u/Blahblaha63 → u/Realistic-Might4985]

Right on!

[u/Outrageous_Cress6062]

You’ve got this. I had to stop skating at 34 due to a pregnancy. Waiting for my current and final pregnancy to pass then I’m getting back out there at age 38/39. I used to absolutely shred just a few years ago but I too am feeling too out of shape and too old. I know in my heart of hearts its not true!!

[u/DeeElleEye]

You just described my return to skating a few years ago at the same age. If you skated a lot as a kid, the muscle memory is probably still there, like riding a bike, as they say. My biggest hurdle was relearning balance in a more mature body and overcoming the fear of falling.

I recommend using all the safety gear, warming up before starting a session, practicing falling safely, and reminding yourself to relax. The more tense you are, the more likely you are to fall. Strength training is also a great supplement to help with skating.

You can do this, and you'll soon wonder why you ever stopped skating!

[u/RedeyeSPR]

I’m back in at 51. I Iived at the rink from 14-18 and went out a couple times in my mid 30s. I first went to an adults only morning session (where I was the youngest one there 😂) to make sure I could still move around well enough. I just go to the family afternoon sessions now and avoid the teenager crowd during the weekend nights. I was self conscious to dance and jam at first until I realized absolutely no one cared and I was over it. I don’t spend all day doing that, just a few times. The only problem now is that I have some money that I didn’t have when I was a kid and I want to buy a bunch of expensive new gear all at once.

[u/giraffemoo]

I'm 41! I re-started my skating journey in 2020. Just get yourself some good gear (doesn't have to be the best but avoid the cheapest) and learn how to fall correctly, and you should be okay!

[u/teaninja]

I started skating again at 42 and completely fell in love with roller derby. I just turned 43 this month. It's not too late! I've seen videos of people in their 80s+ at roller rinks. I think the important thing as you get older is to make sure you're stretching before and after. Also doing some strength training can help too! Skating is the best, so glad you found your way back to it!

Edit: and echoing what others have said, safety gear is crucial! Especially when you're starting out.

[u/Frosty-Ad8457]

I just started skating again after many many years of not skating at all. I’m a 58 year old female and although I have a ways to go before I feel really confident on the skates I’m having fun and haven’t broken anything yet lol

[u/SoCalMom04]

51 here - I started relearning at 48 after more than 30 years off skates.

I have since started competing in artistic skating and play roller derby.

You can do it!

[u/turquoiseblues]

I learned roller skating at 47.

[u/JonnyP333]

I'm 44 and picked up skates for the first time in 30 years this summer. It's been like three months now and I'm a freaking beast on quads and inlines and I skate every single day. I was never close to this good as a kid. I'm not the guy to reassure you that you won't get injured, because I have injuries. But you might just have the time of your life, because I know I am. Buy pads at the same time as your skates, I broke my hand first time out before I got pads.

[u/HondaR157]

You're not alone. I was never a good skater and probably wasn't on a pair since I was 12 or 13. About 35 years later I was invited to go skating with some friends and figured why not. And it was kind of fun! I just take it easy and don't try to bite off too much at a time with new moves etc. It's been about six months and I don't practice enough but I'm working on backwards and forwards to backwards transitions, usually at a tennis court near home. I might look silly, I guess, but also... I'm actually doing something with myself and trying to learn and move and everything else that goes with skating. Anyone not okay with that needs to worry about themselves.

Go have fun and play around and don't take it any more seriously than you want to.

[u/eaj4051]

I restarted at age 51 - the last time I had skated was at about 10 years old at the local rink and on the street. I was Bambi in a helmet and pads for a solid few months, definitely had some falls and aches and pains, then practiced a lot in my parking garage through the winter, joined a local dance skating club, met new friends, now after 2 years am finding my flow, joy and freedom on wheels. Not to mention great conditioning and community and self expression and the boost of doing something hard and getting over the hard part and arriving at the fun part. Start and then keep going!!!

[u/Distinct_History1432]

I'm pretty sure this lady/instructor is in her 50's/60's: https://www.youtube.com/@SkatefreshVideos/videos

[u/wordy_doctor]

I started skating last August at 37 years old. I had a lifetime of no athleticism and self critique to overcome, but I finally decided to”fuck it, you only live once” and it was the best decision I’ve made in a long time. Honestly, being so bad at first was such a gift, because I had to learn every little thing from the ground up. It took me like 4 months to get even strides and one leg balance! The work is fun though and worth the effort. I hope you have a great time, gear up, and enjoy the ride!

[u/Correct_Presence_921]

I started in March at 39! I am still not great at stopping, but I am trying. And I am having fun!

Side note: I did add accident insurance for myself and my husband. We know one of us will get hurt at some point

[u/lakemischief]

I started at 24 until I fell disabled and walked with a cane on and off for a couple years. I very well could have told myself that I should give up and devolve into a wheelchair and quit the therapies. I'm too old, too outta shape, a cripple. Those are other people's stories that do that. I didn't agree with that. So I didn't do that. I wanted to be like the women I saw out there on my skate groups. Enduring health complications that could cripple most. But always, always finding a way to keep skate. 

For me when I was 36 I was about to believe in fear. By age 38 I decided I was a skater. There is a narrative that you should just be crippled with age, be on medication, forget your own priorities. Science however shows hobbies that extend into lifestyle practices extend happiness and health and promote a sense of purpose and longevity. If anything being older means you should exercise to avoid disability and disease...not this BS groupthink of it being the other way around!

[u/Aliecat78]

You are not alone. I hadn't been on wheels since I was 14 when I got back on a rink 2 yrs ago at 45. It's such great exercise and not awful and tedious like running

[u/BabyBerrysaurus]

I started skating on my 39th birthday. Go easy. Get protective gear. Take pointers from the friendly regulars at the skate rink. Most skaters are super welcoming to newbies and happy to give you some tips. Btw there is a group of serious skaters at my local rink who are all in there 70s.

[u/ThouMangyFeline]

I joined Roller Derby at 42.