How to Keep Playing the Contact Sports You Love

And in the days after practice or a game, you want to work on your body’s myofascial component, the soft tissue between the muscles, Beatty says. As we age, the fascia tends to get stiffer and less elastic. He suggests foam rolling, dynamic stretching, massage, “or consider a soft-tissue program,” a technique using soft body rollers and small balls to help rehydrate your connective tissue and make it more supportive and less stiff. The Cleveland Clinic says you can do this with a physical therapist or by yourself at home; but if you choose the latter, the clinic says to find videos online showing you the techniques to use. ​

Make modifications

“A 6-year-old playing gridiron football has a different practice than an NFL player. The same should happen on the reverse end of the age spectrum,” Beatty says.

Joining a league with specific rules for seniors is one option. Or finding ways to make modifications — something the sports industry is coming to realize is not that difficult.

“The fitness world is getting smarter, and the population is aging,” Beatty says. “We are finding ways to modify activities to make them safer. Consider American football. You might play flag instead of tackle. You could take up martial arts with sparring modifications. Everything is modifiable.”

Steve Yollick, 72, has been playing ice hockey since high school and still plays twice a week where he lives in Troy, Michigan. He plays in an over-50 league and an over-40 league, which have rules that include no intentional body contact and no checking. “We discourage being too competitive, which can lead to overaggressive play,” he says.

And you definitely want to modify your activity if you have a preexisting condition such as arthritis or osteoporosis, Beatty says. Yes, despite what many might think, with osteoporosis, a disease that weakens and thins your bones, contact sports can be beneficial, Beatty says — with the caveat that if you have a history of fractures, severe osteoporosis or another medical reason you have poor bone health, “you probably shouldn’t pick a sport” in which you’re likely to suffer a fall.

Cross-train

Do an exercise different than your sport. It will help you work a wider range of muscles, build strength and mobility, and improve your fitness level.

You don’t have to do many other sports; you might consider adding strength or resistance training at home or in a gym two to three times a week. This helps to maintain muscle mass — the amount of muscle in our body — which decreases as we age. Basically, strengthening all your muscles, not just those you use during your sport, will help “with your agility and ability to absorb energy [take a hit] from another player,” Beatty says.

Eat and drink to your health

“Your body is more resistant to growth and repair as you age,” says Skolnik, “so it takes more protein to press that muscle-building button.” But timing is important, she adds.

You want to “fuel your body appropriately at each meal,” she says. “Don’t skip breakfast. You need protein starting in the morning and adequately distributing it through the day, 25 to 35 grams per meal, to maintain muscle. If you’re working out pretty intensely you might go as high as eating 30 to 40 grams at each meal.” 

And don’t demonize carbohydrates. You need them for recovery. After a game, have some easy-to-digest foods like a banana, yogurt or a plain bagel with jelly or honey. Regardless of your age, Skolnik says, “If you’re doing the work, you need the fuel. Even if your car’s old, it still needs the gas tank filled.”

Hydration needs, however, are a little different from food intake. A large percentage of water intake is stored in muscles. Since older adults have less muscle mass — humans lose as much as 3 to 5 percent each decade after age 30 — they have fewer areas for water storage. Numerous factors affect how much water you need, such as kidney function and medication side effects. Also, you tend to lose more water as your level of aldosterone — a hormone that helps regulate water excretion — goes down as you age.

Beatty suggests having about 20 ounces of water a few hours before exercising and about 4 to 8 ounces of water for every 20 minutes of exercise. You might drink more if it’s hot and humid or the exercise is intense.

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Keep going to keep going

Deb Smith, 69, who sits on the board of the National Senior Games Association, began playing sports when she was young. She played basketball for the University of Maine in the 1970s and continues to play regularly where she lives in Portland, Maine. “I have two new knees as a result of basketball,” she says. “I’m an avid proponent of continuing to play. I have women calling and emailing regularly and saying, ‘I haven’t played in 40 years.’ I encourage them to come and check us out, but it’s helpful if they’ve been doing some kind of physical activity, even running, swimming, biking.”

While it may be easier for those who have been playing all along, you can still pick up a contact sport if you’ve never tried. Yes, if you’ve been a total couch potato, it will be difficult. “You’ll have to build up cardiorespiratory fitness and a little resiliency before engaging in contact sports,” Beatty says, “but, again, you have to know your body, and modify activity if you need to.”

And if you get injured, is it game over?

If you do get injured, you may be apprehensive to play again. Beatty suggests “having an honest assessment with yourself each season. ‘Have I been cross-training? Am I fit this year? Do I need to adjust my level of play?’”

“If you’re not sure, you can always follow up with your doctor to see what’s appropriate for you to do and not to do,” says Joel M. Press, M.D., physiatrist-in-chief at HSS.

Use your common sense when taking on a contact sport. And while it’s great for your physical well-being, it’s also a wonderful way to meet people and enjoy camaraderie and community. “I have friends from all over the U.S. from playing basketball,” Smith says. “My group is my chosen family. We do community service together. Playing keeps you happy and healthy. My Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings are the best part of the week.”