Challenges and risks

Even with childhood roller-skating experience, Ye clung to the railing for several laps during her first time on an ice rink.

"The hardest part was overcoming the instinctive fear of falling," she said. "As an adult, there's also the practical concern that an injury could affect my work."

Thanks to her cautious approach and protective gear, Ye has had only collision bruises.

Wang Zheng, however, has had patellar tendinitis and one time a skate blade cut her leg. Yi once fell and landed on her chin, scraping off a large patch of skin and bleeding profusely.

Xu Delong, an orthopedic doctor in the winter sports injury clinic at Wuhan No 4 Hospital, said figure skating has a higher rate of injuries compared with recreational skating due to the frequent jumps and spins involved.

Common injuries include ankle and knee sprains, cuts from blades, contusions or even fractures to the shoulder, elbow and wrist joints, concussions, chronic lower back muscle strains, and tendinitis, Xu said.

"Adolescents have a lighter body weight, and better physical flexibility, allowing them to adapt more easily," he said. "In contrast, adults often have poorer flexibility, and unbalanced muscle strength. This makes it harder for them to adapt to skating movements."

Adults without a strong physical foundation should incorporate balance training in addition to regular strength, core, and flexibility exercises, before starting figure skating, Xu said.

"Full protective gear, a thorough warm-up, and avoiding technical moves beyond one's ability can effectively reduce the risk of injury," he added.

Li Wei, head coach of the Sichuan provincial figure skating team, said adults face greater safety risks due to a higher center of gravity. They learn slower than children, but have better comprehension and are self-motivated to study on their own.

The core challenge for adults, he noted, is the lack of a fixed schedule due to work.

"Most of them can stick with it, but over a longer timeline," he said. "Take a five-lesson course for example, someone might disappear after three lessons because of a business trip, and then pick it up again a month or two later."

According to his observation, the majority of adult learners are in their 20s and early 30s, typically college students or young professionals. Those in their 40s are far less common.

Xu Maosen, a 47-year-old Chengdu resident, has been taking his 10-year-old only daughter, Xu Ziya, to figure skating lessons for over six years. Her health, happiness, focus and perseverance have all improved. She has also formed a circle of friends through the sport, he said.

However, he believes that middle-aged people are physically unable to take up such a risky sport. "Besides, since the rinks are full of children, middle-aged adults like myself would feel awkward joining in," he said.