[cjk2]

Hey you're me 15 years ago. I stopped the sports and switched to sustained low damage exercise like cycling, hiking, swimming etc. While you can't undo the damage done if you have a very high level of fitness, you can reduce the effects of the further progression of time. Better be as fit as a 50 year old with some damage when you're 70 than as fit as a 70 year old with some damage.

End game is not pretty. My ex wife didn't do any fitness stuff at all and she's walking with a stick while I'm doing 30km hikes at 3000m...

[rqtwteye]

Same here. I had to switch from doing crazy stuff to just maintaining health. Hiking really fits the spot. I still get a lot of cardio (I have hiking trails with 1000m elevation gain within 10 minutes of driving) that way. But things like running or martial arts are out of the question. I am glad that I was able to adapt to a declining body. Some people my age still do high impact stuff and constantly get injured, take lots of painkillers and get surgeries.

[pavel_lishin]

Part of me really wants to pick up hockey - just for fun, recreationally - but at 40, I'm worried that I'll get injured to the point where I won't be able to do other things I enjoy, like cycling.

Hell, I fell off my bike from a stop a few weeks ago, and landed on my knee, and it took a week and a half before I felt like I could trust my leg to hold weight.

[_DeadFred_]

I did MMA at 40. Problem is your reflexes just can't keep up with an 18 year old. My knee got blasted by a faint intended to just make me move back because I just couldn't move out of the way as fast as the kid's kick.

Whatever you do my advice is if it's high impact join the 'old man's league'. They better understand everyone's limits.

[throwaway7ahgb]

I did Krav Maga at ~40. I don't think reflexes or stamina were my issue. Mine was recovery.

It is a tough sport and one bad day grappling or boxing and I'm in pain for weeks which limits training. It's not a easy sport to do half-way.

[cjk2]

Don't do it. My sister took up hockey when she was 16 and lost 4 front teeth within 3 months. She's 45 now and just had the second set of replacements...

[el_duderino_]

Of all the hockey injuries, this one rates pretty low for adult beer league if you just wear a cage. Wearing a full face cage reduces the risk of losing teeth to almost 0% chance of happening.

Hockey does have risks of course, but playing in a non checking league takes the risk down to manageable levels in my opinion.

[pavel_lishin]

My teeth are already sufficiently bad that I'll likely need implants in the future anyway; I don't want to lose them, but it wouldn't impact my life as negatively as, say, a permanent back or knee injury would.

[el_duderino_]

I recommend it fully! I learned to play at 32 and I am having a blast. Still some risk, but my local league is very laid back and we run very safe games. Being kitted out in protective gear really does make a difference in preventing injuries.

Check and see if your local rink has an intro to hockey class and use that to get a feel for hockey.