Taking up roller skating as a adult

[Allnewtometoo]

Anyone done this? I could skate as a child/teen,but not well. I could go round forwards, without falling over. That's it.

We have a really good local skating rink. They do lessons but the timing us awkward, just wondering whether to just have a go when I take the kids.

Being a bit fat and old, I'm scared. ..

I’m 44 and me and my children are all getting roller blades for Christmas. We live near a race course so hoping to get lots of fresh air and fun exercise in the new year! Tried them on in Decathlon and could stand up but that’s about it! Following!

Do you have a narrow hall or corridor in your house with a hard floor? If you do, practice skating up and down your hall at home (move the doormat and any shoes etc on the floor beforehand). You can grab door handles, the radiator etc if you wobble, and it's a good place to practice without feeling self conscious.

I spent much of my tweenage years on rollerboots but if I attempted it now I'd either jar something or wet myself😬

I started roller skating again at 52 (I'm now 60) and bought a pair of Bauer quad skates. I was a bit nervous to start with but it didn't take long before I was tentatively going backwards as well as confidently going forwards. I've only had one incident when a young toddler broke free from his parents and ran across the wooden floor of the skating rink. To avoid hitting him I twisted away and crashed down onto my tight knee. It still twinges sometimes but I still love skating. It's freeing and takes me back to when I was younger. I'd go for it OP.

I used to be ok at ice skating, so decided to take ds’s and have some fun.

think I was about 40 at the time, I fell heavily and damaged my shoulder badly. Had to have arm in a sling and physio.

but I didn’t learn. Also took ds to trampolining about 10 years later. Pulled my back. Was really painful.

so yeah, just saying stuff that’s easy as a child isn’t always the same as an adult 😐

Forget about it. Bones take a lot longer to heal at that age.

if you do it, make sure you don't skate without knee pads and wrist guards.

I took up roller skating for the first time a couple of years ago. I’m 47
i recently joined a roller derby group as a beginner and love it. Go for it!!

I took it back up as an adult. Loved skating as teen. Started taking my daughter to the local rink and now we love it. It’s really social and friendly. I was a bit wobbly to start and I’m nowhere near as good as I was as a teen. However I can stay up and my DD loves that I’m the mum that’s on the rink as opposed to watching. She’s 9 so I’ve probably got a year max of that so I’m making the most of it

I took it up again recently. It's harder than I remembered!

Being a bit fat and old, I'm scared. ..

You could try, at least you have padding if you fall. 😁

Thanks all. The DC go periodically, I always want to join in but have a genuine fear of hurting myself @NitheringWind says, bones take longer and also I feel I fall harder and more awkwardly.

That said, I really want to do it. I took the dc today after posting, and so wish I could join in. Its great exercise and good fun..

I no longer have a horse that I ride, so am missing doing something fun and active.

@weathervane1 @Hermanfromguesswho @BovrilMartini @Sk8terK8

Did you all just dive in, have lessons, use the wheelie zimmer things?

My local rink has beginner sessions and we went to one of those. My DD picked it up much quicker than I did. Then we started going to the Friday night roller disco. I’m reasonably confident now but if I skip a couple of weeks then I feel very wobbly again

If you’re in South Wales then Cardiff Skate School are very friendly

I started about a year ago and love it.

I started by just practicing in the house (have a hardwood floor and cleared the furniture so I had an open space so got the basics of stopping/falling and getting back up/doing "bubbles" and going backwards (which is actually surprisingly easy). There are some good how to videos on youtube.

Then I did an 'intro to roller derby' course, wasn't really a fan of the derby stuff but still dip in and out of the training sometimes even though I won't ever want to play in a match.

There are quite a few places around by me that do sessions in halls so sometimes I go to those but tbh I've actually found it much much easier outside if there's anywhere with a flat, recently tarmaced surface - much easier to stop, etc. If you have a local park with paths those are often quite smooth, or a newly built housing estate.

But yes make sure you have the pads, just in case. You can also buy bum padding shorts but tbh you should try and be in the sort of stance where if you fall it's forwards and onto your knees, so the knee pads and wrist guards will protect you. The main advantage of roller derby was that it was brilliant for teaching you to stop being afraid of falling, once you've got past that there's nothing that bothers you!

I followed a tip I read on here last year and hired a church hall a few times for a couple of hours. Cost £22 each time. Invited a couple of friends and their children. Had the whole place to ourselves, was great way to rebuild confidence - and brought our own snacks and drinks. Overall cheaper than going to the roller rink. Great fun, bonding with children and sociable as well. Could something similar be an option for you to build your confidence up?

Nowhere near Wales but thanks! They do family skate both days at the weekend, and roller disco Friday.

Hiring a hall is a great idea actually!

I can't practice at home. I need to get us all soke skates, the dc have been hiring them so far.

I do roller discos with my DD sometimes. I'd advise getting quads rather than in line because they are easier on the ankles.
Learning - the tip at the disco when they teach is to bend your knees, hands on knees, and sort of left right left right march to get going. Then if you fall it's forwards and your hands are ready to land, rather than you going sprawling or on your arse. Gradually your feet will go out more and your movements get smoother.

We just did a few beginners sessions.

As someone who took this up in mid 40s be prepared for falls to be excruciatingly painful and slow to heal.

This is the difference.

However good you are you will fall.

And that could near not being able to drive or do other essential things.

I loved it but stopped because you just do not bounce back like you did as a kid and I was worried I'd really do some damage.

Kind of hope though you ignore me and do it and love it xxx

I would love to go roller skating again, I still have my white leather roller boots from 1984!!

We have a local rink (midlands) and I went with the kids a few times after being a good skater as a teen. All good until one of them legged me up and I broke my wrist. Ouch. On discussion with other parents in the area, my injury was not an isolated incident! Approach with caution!

I'm in my late-40s and I drag/take my DD9 to the local roller discos as often as I can. I love it and have my own quad skates. Loads of adults go. Try it! I bet you'll really enjoy it. Bend your knees, weight forward and you'll be fine.

@Allnewtometoo in answer to your question OP, it came about from a dare in the pub of all places. A friend's daughter (13 ish) wanted to go skating and a group of us thought it'd be fun. The daughter looked at me as a really old person and bet me a burger she'd wipe the floor with me. I was on my third or fourth lap on hired boots whilst she was clutching onto the side rail willing her legs to get with the programme. I second the advice given above - wrist guards plus elbow and knee pads - and start within your comfort zone. One thing I did notice is that going round anti-clockwise is easy (as per roller rink when I was a teenager), but changing to clockwise really threw me and put me off balance. It's true that with age comes a new appreciation / nervousness of falling over as it hurts more and can have serious consequences. But then so can many things in life - just stay within your comfort zone and if that means going forward slowly whilst others overtake, go for it regardless and skater if no one is watching! I found and still find it exhilarating although the roller disco part is a great opportunity to get a coffee and watch some truly great skaters.

Go for it!! One of my lovely middle aged female colleagues is a roller skating demon.

she learnt as an adult and now whizzes round london on Friday Night Skate and teaches at their Saturday sessions.

She is the person I would be least likely to pick out for this hobby out of all my colleagues and I love her for it.