(Copyright Best Health/Reader's Digest. Originally published in Best Health, January/February 2011).

These Winnipeg women are attracted to a rock 'em, sock 'em way to get fit

When Serenity Ising traveled to Calgary a couple of years ago to watch a friend in a roller derby tournament, she was instantly hooked. "Something just clicked and I said, 'I want to do that!' I loved the high energy and how it was different from anything else I had ever seen."

The 41-year-old married mom of four kids ages 3 to 16, headed back home to Winnipeg and tried out for the local league, despite never having done any kind of skating before. Today she's captain of two Winnipeg teams, the BackSeat Betties, which plays against other teams in a league, and the Murder City Mavens, which travels to nearby cities to play and is generally made up of more skilled players. She played in seven games and tournaments in 2010. (Sassy names are a big part of roller derby. Ising's derby name is Retro Rx: "retro" for her love of big hair and vintage clothes, and "Rx" for her job as a computer programmer for medical prescription software.)

Known as just "derby" to fans, modern roller derby was popularized in the United States in the 1950s. Now this all-female contact sport is making a comeback and has attracted several thousand Canadian women in just a few years, perhaps in part due to the 2009 Drew Barrymore movie, Whip It. It's kept the theatricality of the original sport—face-painting, short shorts and fishnet stockings are not unusual—but ditched the staged, pro wrestling-like antics that were part of its '70s DNA in favour of genuine athleticism (see, What is roller derby?" below).

Though Ising is passionate about the speed and the rock 'em, sock 'em attitude of the game, camaraderie with her teammates is even more important to her. "You become friends with women who would never be in your life otherwise. I met two of my closest friends—Liann Potts and Abby Rempel—through derby, and like many of the girls they are in their 20s or 30s, and don't have children, but we really connect. I think that's because you have to be a little bit crazy to do derby!" she says with a laugh.

Feeling part of a team and helping newcomers hone their skills is also part of her love of derby. "There's a place for you, because everyone brings something different to the team." Spending ten practice hours a week together, plus working together to develop a sport that's just getting started, adds to that bond. "The relationships that you develop and the respect that you earn give you a real sense of accomplishment," says Ising. "I feel physically, mentally and emotionally stronger now. And it's all so fun!"

WHAT IS ROLLER DERBY?

In a game (known as a bout), two teams, called packs, made up of five players each, compete against each other. Players skate laps on a flat track. Each pack has a "jammer" attempting to skate through the opposing team's pack, which is trying to stop her using their hips, butts or shoulders. After a jammer makes it through the pack once, she scores a point every time she passes a member of the opposing team. Each game (known as a bout) has two 30-minute halves, skated in two-minute shifts called jams.

There are tons of fitness benefits, including a great cardio workout (fast roller skating burns about 500 calories an hour), all-over body strength and of course balance and agility (did we mention it's all done on roller skates?) Visit www.derbygirls.ca to find one of the more than 30 leagues in Canada.