New sport can have social benefit
fool — and I often do.
I know I’m extra lucky because it’s part of my job to tackle new adventures. But even before I made a career out of fitness, I made it a point to challenge myself with new physical activities every year.
I learned to run a slalom course on water skis when I was 41. Since then, I’ve tried windsurfing, flying on a trapeze, paddling an outrigger canoe and surfing. I tried out for the Texas Rollergirls when I was 44, ran my first marathon when I was 45, started practicing yoga when I was 46 and swam 28 miles around Manhattan Island as part of a relay when I was 47.
This year, I entered my first trail running race, a 25-kilometer jaunt through Big Bend National Park. It didn’t matter that I was so slow that half the field passed me. It only mattered that I had fun and got some exercise.
In the past year I also started horseback riding, something I hadn’t done since I was a teenager. And I even tried pole vaulting.
Walker keeps her hair wet by stand-up paddling, riding a personal watercraft and hiking. For her birthday this year, she and her boyfriend went to Jumpoline, where they were the only adults bouncing on trampolines like popcorn on a hot skillet. “We jumped and fell and got our hair wet with sweat,” Walker says.
It’s not just us. I watched mesmerized recently as a 40-something man parked his car, unloaded a skateboard and prepared to rocket down a very steep hill. He definitely got his hair wet. (But I worried for his safety!)
I checked with TeamTexas swim coach Keith Bell, a sports consultant and retired sports psychologist, to get his thoughts on wet hair. He told me that doing the same thing all the time can cause synaptic rutting.
“It seems to be that it’s good for the brain to go different ways, whether it’s taking a different route or doing different things,” Bell says.
We know exercise helps keep the brain healthy. Apparently, mixing up that exercise adds to that benefit.
“You commonly hear it’s good for the brain to learn to speak a different language or pick up an instrument,” Bell says. “I think it’s the same for exercise.”
It’s not just us. I watched mesmerized recently as a 40-something man parked his car, unloaded a skateboard and prepared to rocket down a very steep hill.
Habits, though, are hard to crack, and much of what we do daily we do unthinkingly. If you’re in the habit of sitting and watching TV after work, for example, it’s hard to change. Some stimulus (walking past the TV, perhaps) invokes the habit, and without really thinking you plop yourself down and flip on the set.
“If we use some cue to go out and do something physical instead of sitting around, and get some reward, we start interfering with that habit and start building a new habit,” Bell says. “It’s a great way to replace drinking or smoking or some habit you’re trying to get rid of with running or soccer or swimming.”
Trying new sports has a social benefit as well. Joining a running group or swim team plugs you into a new social community. You won’t mingle with the same folks at a 5K race as you do at the office. That’s a good thing. “Especially as people get older, they need more of that,” Bell says.
Challenging your body with different things keeps your muscles surprised and your mind engaged. “Variety in life is nice — living life and exploring different things instead of going through the same thing every day,” Bell says.
One note of caution: Make sure you’ve got your body’s best interest in mind when you pick an activity. “When you’re 70 is not the time to pick up football or gymnastics,” Bell says. “Yoga or swimming is a lot more attractive.”
All this leads me to wonder — what’ll I do when I hit 50 in two years? You can bet it’ll involve getting my hair very, very wet. Read more about fitness on Pam LeBlanc’s blog at
I’m a nutritionist and mother of two. I’m also a black belt, former world kickboxing champion, pilot and professional stuntwoman. I’ve trained hard all my life, but at this age and stage, I like my exercise to be fun. I’m happiest training outdoors. I love to run trails with my two dogs, Noni and Goji. I also have a punching bag hanging under a big oak tree in my backyard. My favorite routine in the morning is to go for a run with my dogs, then finish up with seven or eight rounds on the heavy bag. Getting a good sweat going makes me feel like a million bucks. I’m a big believer in nutrition, of course, and like to start my day with what I call my “energy and longevity” shake. I mix my favorite organic greens powder in a blender of acai berry juice, a banana, strawber-