Competition Adds a Social Aspect to a Fitness Routine Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

Competition Adds a Boost to Your Fitness Routine

Camaraderie motivation can keep people engaged and active

Bill Cordes (left) after placing third in the 55-and over division of the U.S. Tennis Association Florida League. Terry Hennessy (right) playing softball in Japan in the international senior league. Left: Courtesy USTA; Right: Courtesy Terry Hennessy Aging doesn't mean you have to put away your competitive spirit, especially when it comes to sports. While mastering treadmills, yoga mats and elliptical machines can play an important role in your , those exercises don't provide the level of adrenaline-induced exuberance that comes with competing. Americans are accustomed to going head-to-head on the playing field, the court and in the gym starting at a young age. Increasingly, older adults are looking to continue that same type of competition as they age. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Terry Hennessy, 70, of Sacramento, California, has been playing senior softball since the 1990s. Now the chief executive officer of Senior Softball-USA, Hennessy says when he began playing in the league, the 70-year-old division was as old as it got. Now there are at least 15 teams for players 85 and older and recently one of those teams contacted Hennessy about launching a 90-year-old division, something the organization may do this year. Terry Hennessy sliding into second base at a championship softball game in Phoenix, Arizona. Courtesy Terry Hennessy "What's happened is people have become more active as they get older and they are in better shape,” says Hennessy. “They want to be with their friends because they like the sport... So that gives them an incentive to stay in shape so they can keep playing."

Motivation comes with the territory

Athletic competition doesn't have to take place at an elite level to reap the benefits. A rec league or even pick-up games among friends can keep older athletes motivated, provide important social connections and make it fun. A 2020 article in the found that “playing sport may contribute to the experience of successful aging for older adults.” The primary reasons included mental and physical health benefits, being social and developing a supportive community, being part of a team and opportunities for achievement and travel. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. championship off her bucket list. In April, the physician and her teammates won the United States Tennis Association women's league sectionals championship in the 65 and over, 6.0 category. Her Marion County, Florida, team survived tiebreakers and tight matches to go 4-0 in the tournament. The group will travel to Arizona to compete in the national championships this year. Flowers & Gifts 25% off sitewide and 30% off select items See more Flowers & Gifts offers > "This team played their hearts out,” says Hagan. “It was a dream for sure.… I can't wait to play at nationals." Leslie Hagan, fifth from left, with her Marion County, Florida teammates after winning U.S. Tennis Association Sectionals 6.0 category. Courtesy Leslie Hagan The camaraderie is as important as the competition when it comes to athletics, says Donald Webster, 64, of Atlanta, who is a runner and cyclist. Webster is a member of the South Fulton Race club, the Metro Atlanta Cycling Club and Black Men Run. He says teammates hold him accountable. "If I miss a couple of runs, it's 'Hey, where is Don?'” he says. “No question that's what has kept me consistent over all these years — the people." Webster competes in 5Ks, 10Ks duathlons and an occasional half marathon. He even completed a couple of marathons. Last year, with races sidelined by , Webster decided to enter a “virtual road race,” in which people ran and entered their times online. "It's just not the same," says Webster. "People run on different terrains, different courses... I'm looking forward to post-COVID to get out there with crowds." AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. . "You have a purpose. You have a goal you're working toward,” says Fitzgerald, the executive director of the Oklahoma Senior Games, in which she competes in table tennis and track and field. “You sign up for the competition and you know it's coming and if you aren't prepared it's your own fault.” Until seven years ago, Fitzgerald was an ice skater, winning a silver medal in the senior games’ 55 and older competition. When she came off the ice, she says she realized that for her, it wasn't all about winning. “It was an appreciation for the people that had helped me, like my coach, the other skaters... Just the whole process of setting the goal and then working toward it,” Fitzgerald says. For Hennessy, the softball player, nothing beats the feeling he gets when he steps up to bat or catches a ball in the field. “All of a sudden everything else melts away,” he says. “You don't worry about any other problems. You're just playing with your friends." Merlisa Lawrence Corbett is a contributing writer who covers sports, interior design, business and human-interest stories. A former reporter for Sports Illustrated and tennis columnist for Bleacher Report, her work has also appeared in Essence and Black Enterprise. She is the author of the biography Serena Williams: Tennis Champion, Sports Legend and Cultural Heroine. Philosophy Professor Turned Boxer More on health AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS