Learning a Sport at Midlife or Beyond

You'll find clubs or classes in many sports through local groups, gyms and specialty facilities such as skating rinks, tennis centers or indoor rock-climbing halls. "While you're taking lessons in your new sport, you also should be working on building your overall flexibility, strength and endurance. Then you incorporate these new skills into the activity," Dr. Weber advises.

Choose a new activity that's kind to your body while giving you a good workout. Sports involving jumping, twisting or pounding can be tough on your joints. These are kinder, gentler choices:

• swimming
• deep-water running
• cross-country skiing
• snowshoeing
• in-line skating
• cycling
• rowing
• karate, tai chi, soo bahk do (a Korean martial art)

Some physically tough sports can be adapted to keep the fun and exercise without the likely injury risk. Consider "Granny Basketball," a sport played by several teams of women in Iowa, all age 50 or above. Modeled on girls' basketball rules from 1929, players wear bloomers, long-sleeved shirts and high socks. There's no running (but hurrying is allowed), no jumping and no physical contact.

"You can disrupt the throw by trying to hit the ball or steal it," says Catherine Swatta, 58, who had never played basketball at all before trying a Granny Basketball class earlier this year. She then joined a team in Des Moines and now practices weekly.

Health benefits of a new sport