Gajendra Singh Shekhawat skydives at 56; things people above 50 years should consider when attempting adventure sports

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, 56, recently took a tandem skydive at “Skyhigh — India’s only civilian skydiving drop zone” at Narnaul Airstrip, Haryana. Sharing his excitement and experience, the Minister for Culture and Tourism, who flagged off the new skydiving aircraft, wrote on X: “Truly exhilarating! For new and adventurous Bharat, the skies too are no limit.”

Inspired by his feat, we decided to ask experts if there is anything specific those above the age of 50, who like to indulge in adventure sports, should keep in mind.

But before we reveal the answer to that, here’s a fun fact: The current Guinness World Record (GWR) holder for the oldest person to do skydiving is Al-Blaschke, a 106-year-old from Texas, United States. According to GWR.com, he first earned the record in 2020 at age 103, when he skydived to mark his twin grandsons’ college graduations.

Now back to the answer: Dr Sudhir Kumar, Consultant neurologist, Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad told indianexpress.com that skydiving is safe for most elderly. “There is only a minimum age limit – people need to be 18 years and above to do skydiving. The only pre-requisite for an elderly to do skydiving is that he/she should be physically fit. There is a lot of adrenaline rush while engaging with adventure sports, so the person should have normal cardiovascular fitness,” said Dr Kumar.

Additionally, skydiving is associated with several health-related benefits. It increases cognitive abilities such as alertness, decision-making, and response time. It also gives a mental boost to older individuals and makes life more worthwhile. In addition, regular physical activity would boost overall health.

Truly exhilarating!

On the occasion of World Skydiving Day, had the pleasure of flagging off the new skydiving aircraft and taking a tandem skydive this morning at Skyhigh—India’s only civilian skydiving drop zone at Narnaul Airstrip, Haryana.

For new and adventurous Bharat,… pic.twitter.com/0Clb8iykw4

— Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur) July 13, 2024

But, it must be noted that these sports put a lot of strain on the knee, ankle, and spine, so, the person should not have any joint diseases (like arthritis) or spondylitis, concluded  Dr Kumar.

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