In a mid-life crisis? Skate through it.
A new study suggests that skateboarding can help down-and-out Gen Xers or even those battling substance abuse issues by boosting their moods.
Research has revealed that the pastime allows the middle-aged to cope with depression and stress, while also offering a potential common ground for parents to bond with their kids.
Sociological researcher Dr. Paul O’Connor, from the University of Exeter, said that the activity can invoke “spiritual meaning” for those who engage in the sport, by also providing a new avenue of self-expression — an endeavor that often takes a back seat as adults and parents.
“People are often saying that skateboarding is a lifeline and sanity for them,” O’Connor told The Post. “It gives them a creative outlet,” and a chance to reconnect with the “freedom of youth.”
He also believes that the nature of skateboarding, which celebrates failure (the falls) as part of growth, may help adults loosen up and enjoy the ride, as it were — and seems to do so better than other sports or exercise.
In some cases, O’Connor saw “grown men fighting back tears” as they spoke about it.
“Skateboarding provides a serious emotional outlet for people who have experienced personal trials in the collapse of long-term relationships, career challenges, parenthood and substance abuse,” O’Connor said in his report.
O’Connor studied middle-aged skateboarders in Hong Kong and the UK, interviewing 30 of them to understand what they get out of it. His findings, dubbed “Identity and Wellbeing in Older Skateboarders,” were published in the research text Lifestyle Sports and Identities.
A longtime skateboarder himself, O’Connor told The Post he was “confronted with grown men fighting back tears, literally lost for words in grasping to communicate the importance and gravitas of their pastime,” during his research. And, for some women, who tend to feel “invisible” as they age, according to one of O’Connor’s interviews, it’s a chance for them “to do something … that is empowering in a truly novel way.”
For many of the boarders, their own children had sparked or rekindled interest in the hobby — which rose to popularity in the 1970s and since recently has become an official sport of the Olympics.
These days, those who came of age during the heyday of skateboarding might finally be living out their childhood dreams, suggested Dr. Justen Elbayar, an orthopedic surgeon in sports medicine at NYU Langone, who has treated patients suffering from skateboard injuries recently.
“I have been seeing more older folks injuring themselves doing more extreme type sports,” Elbayar told The Post. “In fact, I recently operated on a very active 45-year-old male who tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) skateboarding. Thankfully, he is now doing well.”
Dr. Teo Mendez, an orthopedic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital, has also noticed “an increased interest” in outdoor sports lately, noting their “associated injuries have seemed to balloon” alongside the trend.
But some of a certain age might be wary of the hobby since skateboard-related injuries account for an estimated 70,000 emergency department visits each year in the US, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
Meanwhile, first-time skaters make up one-third of those who visit the emergency room, according to UPMC Sports Medicine, with common ailments including concussions as well as shoulder, wrist and ankle injuries. Even pro skater Tony Hawk said he’s taken a step back from some moves after wipeouts have taken a toll on his body.
“[My] willingness to slam unexpectedly into the flat bottom has waned greatly over the last decade,” the 53-year-old said earlier this year, after landing his history-making skate trick, called the ollie 540, for the last time in March.
Indeed, as the body ages, it takes longer to heal, according to Dr. Elbayar, so those who take up the sport should consider how an injury would affect their daily lives. And while most common injuries can be avoided by wearing safety gear, such as helmets and knee pads, he cautioned against the activity for clumsier people or those with medical conditions that impair balance.
And there are alternatives to trick boarding. “Cruising on a longboard can be done relatively safely with proper protective equipment,” Dr. Mendez told The Post.
Still, doctors are “hesitant” to discourage anyone with the zest to shred, as Elbayar can attest the “change of pace” also has its mental benefits, in spite of the risks.
“That is part of life, doing things you enjoy and are passionate about,” he said.