How do women over 30 interact with physical activity and sports?
Photo by Zachary Kadolph on Unsplash
The world of sport is so diverse, from contemporary dance to hockey, being down on the field for recreational play to up in the stands chanting, “Let’s go Blue Jays.” No one can deny that women’s professional sport is taking a resurgence, but with only 1% of people “going pro” and even less female athletes, the intersection of women and sport is more involved than just pro sports. Studies show that girls are more likely than boys to drop out of sport between ages 13-18, but what about women over 30? Research shows that 94% of successful C-suite women played high-level sports in their childhood. But what about the rest of us mid-level 30-year-olds outside of the C-Suite? How is the average woman over 30 engaging with physical activity and sports? I spoke to three of my friends to find out.
My movement journey is ever-growing. I played sports when I was young, and I tried everything. My sister and I did skating, gymnastics, swimming, soccer, volleyball, badminton, and basketball. I played soccer in university, and I also developed a love for working out. I found myself at fitness studios at least 2-3 times a week during university. Today, with way less time for myself, I still play soccer once a week and workout 2-3 times with biking almost every day (except some frigid Canadian winter days). But I don’t know if my high level of activity is really the norm.
Ali
My friend Ali recently turned 30. We work together in sport, and she also coaches field hockey at many competitive levels, including her recent travels to India. Ali grew up playing hockey, so she’s very familiar with sports. She played high-level hockey until she was a teenager, including daily practices, weekly physical training, and a strong focus on overall health and wellness. She decided to switch to field hockey, where she’s represented Canada and narrowly missed out on the 2024 Olympics by 1 goal. Ali was a bit more active a few years ago, but after retiring from professional play recently, the majority of her time is now spent coaching, where she still gets a good amount of physical activity playing with high-level athletes. Ali also makes time to workout a few times a week and is an avid biker. Ali is married with no children.
Adj
My friend Adj plays Monday night soccer with me. She grew up playing high-level soccer. Similar to Ali, she’s no stranger to daily practices and training. She played in University and played a few years professionally in Europe. She also has a membership to Barry’s, where she works out at least 4 times a week. Being active is one of the most important parts of managing her anxiety and ensuring she feels healthy in both mind and body. Adj loves walking everywhere, but she does refuse to bike in the city. She has a long-term boyfriend and no children.
Mer
I also spoke to Mer, the mother of 2 active boys. Mer grew up playing recreational hockey. She enjoyed skating, skiing and all the winter sports in Ottawa. Mer also didn’t shy away from camping and hiking in the great outdoors during the summer. Now, she plays in a hockey league once a week - although she wishes it were more like 4. She swims at least once a week with the boys, and also bikes every day. Despite being an e-bike, her riding still keeps her very active. Mer doesn’t have the time to go to a formal gym, but between hockey, running around with the boys, biking daily and general functional exercise throughout the week, she maintains a very active lifestyle and wishes she could do more.
After chatting with my 3 friends, I realized that many of my friends were very active. Despite all coming from very different circles - moms, soccer friends and work friends - many people that I spend time with are active. It got me thinking that it really is how you surround yourself that affects what you actually do, as research suggests. The people I do meet that aren’t active don’t really last as friends because if we don’t have that in common, there seems to be less reason to connect.
Talking to my friends over 30 about their interactions with sport and physical activity got me thinking that you really are who you surround yourself with. If you want to be active, hang out with active people.
With 30s being such a busy time for women between careers and families, it’s even more important to be intentional with our time. As many of us struggle to stay active through this dreary winter, could the solution be as simple as finding a gym bestie?