DALLAS, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Ice skating isn't just for children or elite athletes competing in the Winter Olympics -- it's great for menopausal women, a U.S. physician suggests.
Dr. Alison Dobbie, chairwoman of family and community medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, says ice skating is an excellent hobby for women in their 40s and 50s.
"It's fun, aerobic and weight-bearing," Dobbie says in a statement. "It's social, without being a team sport."
Picking up the activity later in life should not be a problem, especially for those who previously have participated in any type of dance or gymnastics, Dobbie says. Dobbie restarted her hobby a few years ago.
"If you skated as a child, muscle memory kicks in," Dobbie says. "With adult-friendly coaching, even beginners should be skating on the ice in a relatively short time."
