For some decades now, rollerblading which is also referred to as inline skating, has been considered a major sporting activity along with other types of skating. The good news is, to date, it is still considered as a major exercise, activity, and sport all over the world. The most amazing fact is; you don’t need to be a pro skater to find this activity enjoyable.
How to Skate With Inline Skates?
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Get the Right Skate for You
If this is your first time to purchase an inline skate but you lack the fundamental rudiments, the question is how can you get started? This article is a comprehensive guide on how to go inline as a beginner.
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Choose an Empty, Dry, and Flat Area
One of the drills for beginners is to practice within a space that has few people and obstacles to help avoid accidents, falling unexpectedly or bumping up to people. To this, an empty pathway, an empty lot, or a road will be needed to carry out your practice properly without interruption. It is important to ensure the entire environment is obstacle-free and seek ownership approval if the property belongs to a private entity.
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Stand Firmly & Balance
You can seek the assistance of a friend, or use the wall to support yourself when learning all the steps involved in standing on an inline skate. Separate both of your feet and ensure it is a couple of centimeters apart in a perfect V positioning. It is also important to bend your knees a bit downwards to avoid falling directly.
By the same token, learn all the necessary moves that is needed to stand aright on the skate. To do this, ensure both knees are position on the ground and your entire body weight is held upright. While both of your arms are still on the ground, lift your right leg until you observe the wheels of the skate coming in contact with, and lying flat on the ground.
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Take One Step at a Time
If you are trying this out for the first time, it is normal to have the feeling of slipping or falling to the ground any moment. It is important to sustain the right balance and walk evenly until you gain a balance that won’t allow you to slip off the ground easily, once you attain such balance –then it’s time to take it one step to another.
Try as much as you can to avoid rushing over, slow and steady wins the race, remember? A quick move can distort your balance and cause you to tumble. On the other hand, you can attempt walking around with the skate while your feet are still positioned on the V-walking position. In this manner, both of your feet are placed in V shape position, while your toes are still directed inward, take one step after another.
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Start Gliding Slowly
Once you mastered the entire step with the skates, then its high time to learn gliding. Now you will need to push one of your legs forward and follow suit to start gliding. The main trick is to ensure a foot is placed forward, then some weight is added to the foot, repeat the process on the second foot.
Try as much as you can to focus your balance on each of your feet and repeat the procedure on both feet. It is also important to focus your attention on the movement of each foot – while doing this, try as much as you can to spot out where you feel more comfortable.
Practice, practice, practice until your balance becomes a thing you’re less self-conscious about. You will need to practice the glide move on one of your legs until you attain perfection, i.e., you find it easy to glide without struggling with the move.
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Stop by Using the Brakes
Breaking down speed is another significant trick you can learn while skating inline since it is the only alternative to reducing your speed when confronted with an accident or obstacle that helps you to prevent/ control the degree of injury that is usually accompanied by accidents.
Inline skates are made with brake pads mainly attached at the rear part of the skate, helping you to break down speed easily. All you need to do is to lift your toes, and the skate stops automatically.
One of the skates can also be placed forward while you lift the other part of the skate and lean your body a bit backward, allowing the break to come in contact with the ground slowly. In this regard, inline skates have a lot in common with figure skates. We recommend breaking down your speed gradually, before applying your brake pad since it can easily get damaged if they are applied at an instance while still on high speed.
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Practice & Practice
Just as the saying goes, “repetition is the mother of skills.” As you learn more moves on the skate, your level of balance increases too. If you observe improvement in any of the moves, it’s time to progress and learn more stunts and advance your skills as you make gradual progress to adopting advance tricks. It is also important to be alert when you encounter an obstacle; this will help ensure safety.
FAQ
Q. 1: How do I get better at inline skating?
A. Although a lot of people expect the use of quad roller skate to be much easier when it comes to inline skating, which is also known as rollerblades, the fact is a lot of adults and children tend to find inline skating pretty easy. But if you intend to give the skating style a shot but feel it might be a bit difficult, our best recommendation is to start where you are (anywhere).
Q. 2: Is inline skating a good workout?
A. Inline skating serves as a perfect cardiovascular and aerobic workout. Though it can still serve as an alternative means to muscle building. Different from cycling, inline skating gives room for the development of hamstring muscles and at the same time, help you to preserve and strengthen the joints and knees, unlike running.
Q. 3: How long does it take to learn how to inline skate?
A. Normally, it takes about 10-15 rides for an average of 1 -3 hours of cruising on the skate. You can start out with learning the basics like trying to strike proper balance, acceleration, stops, turns, and striking up a proper level of comfort.
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