A body protector for athletes, particularly those engaged in motocross or motorcycle racing, having an outer semirigid plastic shell and an inner layer of air cell material for absorbing the impact of a fall or collision. The air cell material comprises a closed network of cells that are interconnected with channels. The channels slow the air movement away from the impact area, thereby distributing the energy of the impact throughout the cell network. An integral pump allows the wearer to maintain the air cell material at the desired pressure. An inflation indicator allows the wearer to estimate the pressure level of the air cells.