We’ve spent many a night rooting for our favorite Olympic athletes over these last couple of weeks, shrieking at our TV as we experienced the highs (Michael Phelps’ unstoppable gold-medal streak) and lows (Nastia Liukin’s heartbreaking tiebreaker fiasco) with the rest of America. And witnessing 38-year-old Constantina Tomescu-Dita of Romania and 41-year-old Dara Torres of the U.S. kick ass during the marathon and swimming competitions, respectively, has inspired us to get off of our duffs. Our first stop? We’re seriously considering hitting the pool after reading this New York Times article by Liz Robbins.

The piece highlights new research from the Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming at Indiana University, which found Masters swimmers ages 25-55 have become faster over the last 20 years. The phenomenon is mostly thanks to improved technique and stroke mechanics, meaning that even if you no longer have the strength and stamina of a 23-year-old, you can still swim like a champ if you develop your skills.

Sounds like a challenge we’d like to take on. What about you? Have the Olympics inspired you to rethink your fitness routine? To find a Masters swim group near you, visit USMS.org.

Tags: America, Constantina Diţă-Tomescu, Constantina Tomescu-Dita, Counsilman Center, Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming, Dara Torres, Indiana University, Liukin, Liz Robbins, Michael Phelps, New York Times, Romania, Sports, stroke, Swimmers, Swimming, The New York Times Co, the Olympics, United States, United States at the Olympics