[nomadbrah]

Which new sport should an approaching middle age man consider taking up?

I am not middle age yet, but we all get there, so I want to be pro-active here.

Why different sport for the middle age man?

Soccer, basketball, rugby/football is a sport for young men. It involves a lot of contact, jumping, sprinting, bad for the knees in particular. It's also sports which are difficult to play at an organized level, because they require too many people to get together. That's difficult as you age and people get families. There's also the social aspect based around drinking and nights out as a group, which is also more of a young man's game.

What could be a suitable sport for middle age?

Should be something that can be reasonably mastered at an older age.

Should have a social aspect fit for middle age (networking with high value individuals, meeting women either directly or indirectly)

Should have some status that doesn't rely on being athletic (jock status)

Should not be injury prone and should be something to continue into old age

I have some suggestions myself:

Sailing
Tennis
Fencing
Rowing

Some that is not interesting for me, but which fits the above requirements:

Badminton
Yoga

[Suits]

[nomadbrah]

^ Haha, yes golf is the classic, but I'd say that is a sport to pick up in late-middle age.

I'm talking late-30s onwards.

[threeofdiamonds]

It sounds counter intuitive but martial arts - the only 70 year olds I've seen do the splits or a roly-poly practiced kung fu and judo.

If you live in a commonwealth country and want a team game then cricket is a good shout, very civilised, you can play into your late 60s.

I've played a lot of golf, but it's very time consuming and well suited for retirement.

[nomadbrah]

(07-15-2018 10:18 AM)threeofdiamonds Wrote:  

It sounds counter intuitive but martial arts - the only 70 year olds I've seen do the splits or a roly-poly practiced kung fu and judo.

If you live in a commonwealth country and want a team game then cricket is a good shout, very civilised, you can play into your late 60s.

I've played a lot of golf, but it's very time consuming and well suited for retirement.

Yes, that is something to consider for sure. I have dabbled in martial arts, mostly kickboxing/muay thai, but that is definitely not sports to pursue as an older man.

Which martial arts would you recommend?

Edit: You mentioned Judo and Kung Fu, that makes sense.

[Ringo]

Others you didn't mention:

Surfing
Swimming
Cycling, especially adventure cycling
Sport shooting or archery?

(07-15-2018 10:18 AM)threeofdiamonds Wrote:  

It sounds counter intuitive but martial arts - the only 70 year olds I've seen do the splits or a roly-poly practiced kung fu and judo.

Agree with martial arts to an extent, but judo is definitely not an old man's game.

Judo involves being explosive and throwing around human bodies. Whether you're the one throwing or the one being thrown, you'll not want to be doing it in your 40's and later. Long term, getting dumped on the ground will wreck you even with good technique - even more so coming into the sport at a later age, not knowing how to fall properly and being taken down by other beginners. Fingers, hands and arms sometimes get tangled in the gi, it's easy to hurt yourself. All the judo vets I know have shoulder or spinal injuries, some also have bad knees, elbows and wrists.

BJJ can be an option because it's easier to tailor your game to lower impact (pull guard, play half guard, tap early).

Boxing could be an option, although sparring would have to be done carefully, if at all.

[nomadbrah]

Swimming and Cycling are obvious choices.

I don't like them as "hobbies" for the reasons that I don't like the lifestyle they contribute to. Swimming is solitary indoor sport with no social aspect really and no interesting culture. Cycling can be done in teams yes, but has to too much of a "balding, skinny fat, middle manager" vibe to it.

Surfing - yes!

Sports shooting/Archery - yes!

Both interesting pursuits.

I thought surfing was very youth culture though.

[KC4]

Brazilian jiu jitsu. Plenty of older dudes are doing it and with the right sparring partners the chance of injury is low. The oldest guy I have grappled with was 57 years old.

[Ringo]

(07-15-2018 11:29 AM)nomadbrah Wrote:  

I thought surfing was very youth culture though.

Maybe, depends on location. Beaches with small rolling waves will attract a different set of people than spots with harder waves. In any case, it's a great lifestyle and you'll be surrounded by good looking people.

On the same note:

Windsurfing
Stand up paddling

[ChefAllDay]

(07-15-2018 11:21 AM)Ringo Wrote:  

Others you didn't mention:

Surfing

Funny you should say that. I am taking up surfing this summer.

As a Canadian you're never too old to play hockey.

[chicane]

I know a number of older folks who do Ving Tsun. Low impact and good exercise.

[Beyond Borders]

(07-15-2018 11:29 AM)nomadbrah Wrote:  

I thought surfing was very youth culture though.

Fantastic way to stay young well into old age.

Check out "Surfing for Life" if they've got an online version - cool documentary that profiles surfers who keep at it into their 70s, 80s, and 90s and get a lot of benefit from doing so. As you get really old, of course, you'd need to stick to mellower waves.

[YoungBlade]

Sports for middle aged men?

[Beyond Borders]

Another one I really love is Raquetball.

Always see middle aged men playing. Fucking great workout too.

But be careful. With all the twisting and turning, you can injure yourself pretty easily if your body isn't ready for it. And make sure to wear some eye protection.

[OneManWolfPack]

Slow pitch softball.
Volleyball.
Kick ball.
Golf.
Basketball.

I enjoy all, and have increased my social circle by being in leagues.

[Dirtyblueshirt]

Skiing - I have seen some guys in their 60s and 70s still tearing up the mountain.

Attracts a higher status crowd and is also less physically demanding than other sports.

Might want to avoid heavy amounts of mogul skiing though, it can destroy your knees over time.

[Richard Turpin]

Great thread idea. I'm in the same boat myself.

Firstly, the posters above are right about Judo. It will fuck you up. I started it when I was over 40, was pretty fit and thought I was a tough-nut having played in midfield (soccer) and liking a dust-up. Judo humbled me. It also injured me (permanently in one case). I had never been to the doctor in my life until I took up Judo. Since then, I have been four times (foot, back, fingers, eye). I'm not saying don't do it, because it taught me the basics about grappling, but no way is it an old man's sport. Nobody at my club grappled seriously over 40 (and they were all carrying injuries). I can't in good conscience recommend Judo for those on the wrong side of 40.

BJJ is a different animal, slower, controlled, much less explosive and unpredictable than it's stand-up cousin. You could still do that into old age.

I've thought about Aikido but my local club clashes with other family commitments, but that's one I want to try, once circumstances change.

I would second cycling. Gets you seriously fit and is enjoyable. You can do it alone when you want to just chill and meditate. But it's also very social as I do a lot of group 2 or 3 day rides where we have piss-ups in pubs and hotels. You see a lot of your local area and beyond, it really is incredible how far you can travel on a bike once you are into it. It helps for me that I live in a rural setting and have endless miles of car-less cycle tracks right outside my back door.

Running is similar. There are lots of running groups where I live so it can definitely be a social thing. Probably the easiest and cheapest to take up and may give you the best return for your time.

Sailing would be awesome if you have the opportunity, but it's way out of my experience to write about.

Squash is fun but insanely brutal when you are well-matched and rallies go on forever. My fitbit recorded some of my highest heart-rates during squash (mostly because I'm bad at it and run too much! You are supposed to stay in the middle and make your opponent do the running (easier said than done)). Sadly, squash also has a high injury rate in my experience. In fact I've ran out of partners for this very reason.

Lifting is something you should just do anyway.

Archery I would love to try as well, but same as Aikido, I just can't find the time presently.

Golf looks expensive, time-consuming and would feel a bit like 'giving up' for me. But everyone I know who tries it gets bitten by the bug and raves about it.

Fencing? Looks great but I have no experience to share.

Sword-fighting in Full Plate Armour as per Youngblade's post? I think that wins hands down, can't see any drawbacks whatsoever and all other options pale in comparison.

[Montrose]

Fencing is good. At my club I got regularly beat by a 70 year old guy. You can still be a good fencer at 70, you just need to replace speed with precision. The problem with fencing is that it can be expensive with equipment and installations, and it’s relatively obscure, so it’s not always easy to find a club.

[Beyond Borders]

(07-16-2018 03:35 AM)Richard Turpin Wrote:  

Running is similar. There are lots of running groups where I live so it can definitely be a social thing. Probably the easiest and cheapest to take up and may give you the best return for your time.

Agreed.

Here's a fascinating book on running - first book that ever got me enjoying it and eventually led me to doing research that convinced me a lot of lifters are mistaken thinking longer runs (other than sprints, which I also love) shouldn't ever be a part of a man's workout program. And it's a gripping adventure tale told in story form.

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0028MBKVG/ref...TF8&btkr=1

Runner's high is truly addicting and provides a damn good boost of good feelings anytime you need an extra pick-me-up. The longer-lasting emotional benefits are huge as well. It teaches a lot of mental discipline, and, though seemingly monotonous, it's a pretty interesting hobby if you get into trail running or just runs in beautiful places.

Also, this next book is mandatory reading if you do get into running regularly, as the WAY most people run or jog has been shown to be the cause behind most running injuries that occur - mostly they are caused by shoes, which ironically fuck up your body instead of protecting it.

A lot of research has gone into proper technique in recent years, and even if you don't take up barefoot running and opt for shoes, this book will help you learn the proper mechanics.

Barefoot Running Step by Step
https://www.amazon.com/Barefoot-Running-...ot+running

Aside, for those who think running is going to make them look like they just came out of a concentration camp:

Terry Crews runs 4 miles a day. Certainly doesn't seem to hurt his results any...



And David Goggins, an ultramarathoner. Often dubbed "the toughest man on the planet" (i.e. probably runs more in a day than most lifters will in their entire lives but still looks pretty solid). Of course, most ultramarathoners look pretty emaciated, but the outliers tell me it doesn't have to be that way, especially if you don't run the insane miles they do.

[Montrose]

The problem with running is that it’s bad for for the body (joints) and it gives you that horrible middle aged runner skinny fat silhouette.

[Beyond Borders]

^ What grade is your reading level at? Or maybe you just pick a word from a post and then respond to it instinctually???

[Saweeep]

My area of expertise is martial arts, so I'm gonna stick to giving my opinions on that.

I think there's a reason why some of the traditional arts (Karate and Kung Fu) are popular with older people beyond the generational fads of their youths. They are just gentler on the body.

BJJ is an interesting one as the injuries may be less common but they have the potential to be ruinous. I'd be very wary of getting started in the sport at such a late age; knees and joints just don't heal at 35+ like they do when you're younger.

Forget about Muay Thai, Kickboxing, TKD etc. For obvious reasons. They are just brutal on the body.

I reckon boxing may turn out to be the winner, again, as it often is in most "what martial arts shall I do" discussions.

[Richard Turpin]

Montrose, running may not suit everyone, but I think the 'bad for the joints' talk is overplayed. If you are heavy and try to run too far too soon, running will be hell initially, so you have to build up the mileage slowly and diet as well.

Also, people mistake 'feeling like shit cos I've just started a new exercise regime for the first time' with running 'being bad for the joints'. If they would only stick with it, the aches and pains would go away. It all hurts at first.

I've ran and lifted for nearly 30 years and the only joint pain I get is from certain lifts and I have to work around that. Running on the other hand makes me feel awesome.

To combat the skinny-fat look you have to throw in sprints and lift at least one day a week. Even press-ups and sit-ups will help here.

You are right to bring up the 'skinny-fat' issue though, cos I see it so much among friends of mine that do way more mileage than me (both bikes and running). They look awful and frankly I feel sorry for them knowing how much time they spend exercising. What they all have in common though is that they 1) don't lift, and 2) can't or won't sprint (either on bikes or running). You have to go flat-out fast now and then and exert some power, rather than plod on at your nice easy pace that you know you can keep up forever.

[MANic]

I second threeofdiamonds on all his suggestions. Martial arts is great. Cricket is also perfect (most over-35 leagues are moving to games even shorter than 40 overs with many 20 over leagues popping up if you're in the commonwealth). Perfect blend between sport and group socialising.

[Spectrumwalker]

Polo. Let the horse get the exercise. The most badass sport in the world. The sport of kings. Google clubs near you. they often have beginner schools.