10 Great Benefits Of Roller Skating for Your Health
Is Roller Skating A Workout And Are The Benefits Of Roller Skating Worth It?
There’s no doubt that roller skating or rollerblading (inline skates) is a fun way to get in shape, but is it really a good workout? The answer is yes! There are many benefits of roller skates for fitness. It burns calories and tones muscles. It’s also a more low-impact cardio option than jogging or cycling, with more muscle usage and less impact on joints. In fact, roller skating uses both your inside and outside legs as well as your core and arms for fitness benefits.
How Long Should Your Roller Skating Exercise Workout Be?
There is no one skate duration that fits everyone. The benefits of roller skating vary depending on your fitness level and skating goals, you will want to vary the amount of time you spend rolling.
If you are a beginner looking for a light aerobic workout, 10-15 minutes is ideal. Intermediate skaters looking to push themselves harder can aim for 20-30 minute sessions with short breaks in between. And if you’re an advanced skater who wants a challenging workout, try skating for 1-2 hours with several short breaks throughout your session.
Where To Skate? Roller Skating Rink or Outside?
Skating can be done indoors at a roller rink or outdoors, which makes it a perfect recreational activity for the year round fun.
The benefits of skating around the rink are:
- Climate controlled environment
- Rink rental skate option if you don’t have your own
- Available safety equipment
- Most rinks have music and a DJ during public session times.
- Smooth maintained surface to skate on
Disadvantages of skating indoors
- You can only go during session times
- Rinks can get crowded which may be intimidating for a beginner
The benefits of skating outdoors
- You can go anytime
- Less crowded and more open areas to learn
- It will make you a better skater
Disadvantages of skating outdoors
- You need your own skates
- You need your own safety equipment
- You have to contend with hazards on the ground (rocks, pebbles, uneven payment.
- Weather can be too hot or cold
I’ve personally skated indoors and outdoors. While there are more hazards that you have to contend with when skating outdoors, I have to reiterate that it will make you a better skater. If you can skate on pebbles, rocks and uneven payment, then you can skate on anything!
What Type of Skates? Roller Skates or Rollerblades?
There are two common types of skates: Traditional roller skates also known as quads and inlines (rollerblades).
A traditional pair of skates have 4 wheel setup up much in the same way as you would see a car. Two wheels side by side in the front and two in the back.
Inlines typically have 3 to 5 wheels but are set up in a straight line.
It really comes down to preference as to which type of skate you prefer but for beginners with balance issues, a quad skate is preferred.
Now beyond the two types of skates there are different styles for each. With quad skates they can be: artistic, jam, speed, or derby. There are all kinds of varieties of boot and plate configurations. For rollerblades or inlines, there are also artistic, speed, recreational, precision and freestyle varieties as well. I’ll talk about them more in another post.
Now let’s talk about the top benefits of roller skating!
1. Roller Skating Sports Fitness To Burn Calories
How Many Calories Does Roller Skating Burn?
Want a great way to burn calories? For the average roller skate session you can expect to burn between 300 and 600 calories an hour. It’s a great way to torch some serious calories and reduce body fat.
2. Build Core Muscles Strength And Get More Body Power
Does skating tone your body?
Skating is cardio and aerobics exercise, but it’s so much more. It works your upper and lower body to include your legs, arms and core as you balance to stay upright during the movement. Skating will help firm up and flex many areas of your body, including the calves, thighs, glutes and abs.
Roller skating also helps strengthen and improve hip mobility. As with most exercises, the more often you skate, the better results you’ll see as you build endurance! So let’s go out and get those muscles going!
3. Roller Skates Improve Your Coordination And Balance
When you roller skate, you are using muscles in your back, legs and core to stay balanced. Often time you’ll end up skating you’re on one foot before switching to the other foot. This is great for improving your overall balance.
In addition, roller skating can help improve coordination and posture. These benefits come from constant motion and balancing adjustment. It is a fun way to get exercise and improve your balance at the same time!
4. Easy On Your Joints
Joints are a major concern for many people when it comes to physical activity. It’s understandable–after all, you’re putting your body through a new range of motion that you might not be used to. However, one of the great things about roller skating is that it has a fluid motion which decreases the chances of sustaining joint damage.
While recreational roller skating is easy on the joints compared to running, a slip or fall can create injuries. If you’re just getting started be sure to wear proper safety gear like a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist guards.
This doesn’t mean that you should go out and start roller skating if you’ve never done it before! Always consult with your doctor before starting any new exercise routine. But once you’ve gotten the all-clear, it can be a great way to improve your joint health without putting too much stress on them.
Can I Do Roller Skating With Bad Knees?
Yes, you can do roller skating with bad knees. However, it would be best to consult your doctor before attempting this activity if you have orthopedic injuries or any concerns about your knees.
I skated in my twenties, but I had to stop because my knees were getting injured. My knees got better when I stopped. However, after I started skating again in my 40s, it wasn’t long before they started to hurt again. That’s when I learned about what causes knee pain and how to fix it.
Knee pain is mostly due to muscle imbalances. You need to strengthen your posterior muscle chain because the front side of your body is working to much. When you strengthen glutes, hamstrings and as well as strengthen hips and ankle dorsiflexion. You can fix your knees in the process! I’ll have another post on this later!
5. Defeats Diabetes
Did you know that regular exercise can prevent and even manage type 2 diabetes? Roller skating is a great way to get in your daily dose of exercise, and it also incorporates aerobic exercise and strength training. This means that you’ll be doing your body a world of good by roller skating!
Now you also do you have to have a healthy diet to go along with your daily does of exercise, but skating can take of all your fitness needs,
6. Roller skating is great for weight management
If you’re looking to lose weight, rolling a few times a week can get you there! I skated a lot when I was in my late teens but stopped in my mid 20’s. I had about a 15 year break and during that time I packed on the pounds. When I decided I wanted to start competing again I started skating 3-5 times per week. It didn’t take long to lose the over 40 lbs that I packed on. Once I got back into skating I had a major roller skating body transformation. I felt better than I had in years!
Does skating reduce belly fat?
Yes, roller skating is an effective way to burn off belly fat. It helps to improve your balance and coordination while working the abdominal muscles.
7. Healthier Heart
Heart diseases are now one of the primary causes of death in the United States and worldwide. In order to combat this, it is important to find ways to improve heart health. Roller skating is a form of cardiovascular exercise that can help improve heart health. When you roller skate, your heart rate increases, which helps make your heart stronger. Additionally, roller skating helps the lungs, and can boost heart rate by about 148 beats per minute for 30 minutes. All of these factors work together to improve overall heart health. If you are looking for a fun way to get healthy, roller skating is definitely a great option!
8. Improves Mood – Rolling Makes You Happy
Who doesn’t love feeling happy? Roller skating is a great way to release those feel-good hormones and endorphins and improve your mood! Not only does it make you happier, but it can also help fight off depression and stress in both children and adults. Roller skating is a great way to spend time with friends, and it’s sure to put a smile on everyone’s face! So go ahead and lace up your skates for a fun, healthy time!
9. Live A Stress-Free Life Thanks To Your Roll
We all know that stress can be dangerous and lead to death. It’s important to find ways to reduce the amount of stress in our lives, and roller skating is a great way to do that! It is an easy way to reduce stress, with the goal of living a stress-free life.
Getting your roll on is a relaxing activity that can help you forget about your troubles for a while. When you’re stressed out, it’s important to take some time for yourself and do something that you enjoy. That’s where roller skating comes in!
Doctors suggest new activities to reduce stress, and roller skating is in the top ten of the list!
10. Roller Skating Improves Agility
Agility is key when it comes to roller skating. If you’re not agile, you’ll quickly find yourself on the ground. This is why agility drills are so important in roller skating training. They help you improve your balance and coordination, which will make you a better skater.
But agility isn’t just important for rolling; it’s also important for other sports and activities. In fact, improving your agility can benefit nearly every area of your life. That’s why it’s so important to include agility drills in your workout routine.
Agility isn’t just about being able to stay on your feet; it’s also about having good muscle control and connection. When your muscles work together properly, they can move more efficiently and with greater power. This improved muscle connection is what helps athletes achieve their top performance levels.
Now that you’ve worked up a sweat reading this article you’ve learned about some great benefits of roller skating. The more you do it, the more fit you will be! Beyond becoming a great skater, you can immerse yourself into a friendly culture of like-minded people that love to be free on wheels. You’ll have fun and meet people that share your great passion for getting your groove on.