As I’ve gotten older, my enthusiasm for roller coasters hasn’t diminished but I’ve been wondering if my body can still handle the stress of these high intensity rides.
I was encouraged by the comments of amusement park expert and author Pete Trabucco who said, “No one is ever too old to ride roller coasters,” “You can ride roller coasters as long as you’re physically able to.”
Yeah, that sounds good to me.
“The major concern as people get older is blood pressure changes and changes in heart conduction,” said Dr. Malcolm Cohen, former chief of the Human Information Processing Research Branch at NASA’s Ames Research Center. Cohen highlights that exposure to sudden accelerations from roller coasters can pose physiological challenges to people with these problems.
Humm? that might be an issue as my blood pressure has been an issue in recent years. Oh, I’ve got it under control, but I wonder what might happen as I experience the thrills of those deep dives, inversions, and wonderful “air time.”
Well, I guess I’ll just have to wait and see. Don’t have any coaster near, but when I travel next, it will be hard to avoid the magnetism of the sight and sounds of those awesome roller coasters being built around the country.
Leave your comments below if you’ve had any age related issues in riding roller coasters.
