I have a tough time getting out of bed in the morning and getting on the treadmill for thirty minutes. (That reminds me, tomorrow's Monday - time for the weekly walk. Pray I don't have a heart attack.) Not everyone has that problem, however, as evidenced by this Associated Press story on the proliferation of basketball leagues for women over the age of fifty-five in the last ten years.

Over 131,000 senior women play basketball more than fifty times a year, according to the National Sporting Goods Association, up from 16,000 in 1995. The growth is attributed to the aging of the Baby Boomers: as the women of that generation grow older, they are maintaining their health by staying active - shuffleboard doesn't get the heart rate up, so basketball is the next best option.

My grandmother is 84 years old, but I'm pretty sure she could still hold her own in one of these leagues. She may have lost a step in the last few years, and knee surgery in 2006 didn't do her explosiveness any favors, but she's still feisty as hell. Think Isiah Thomas, only a foot shorter and with better management skills.

More senior women playing basketball to stay fit, as well as for competition (Associated Press)