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Roller Skating Exercise Benefits: A complete guide

Written by Kevin Gerard

Not only is roller skating fun but it has many physical, mental, and social health benefits that many newcomers are not aware of.

Here we described how roller skating can add some flair to your life. If you’re eager to reap all the benefits that this amazing sport has to offer, read on!

Roller Skating Exercise Benefits: Physical, Mental, Social

Social benefits

A great way to interact with people

This is a fun way to socialize with others since it gives you the chance to bond with other skaters and cruise with them while enjoying your favorite rhymes or sharing snacks between the breaks.

Find your new athletic team

Find roller skating team

Roller skating gives the great opportunity to join a fitness-focused group. You get to keep in contact with people who prefer to skate in a team and practice synchronized skating or dance moves.

Skate anywhere you want

Where to roller skate

Roller skating is fun to do in a rink with a group but you can also try it on a paved trail, on the street, or on any smooth surface. Ditch your car or bike – a pair of skates is all you need to move around in style.

Mental health benefits

Roller skate to be happy

Roller skating helps declutter your mind and fight mild depression that many among us have. The movements involved in this sport help reduce bad hormones while increasing good endorphins that are also known as happy hormones.

These good endorphins are known to improve our concentration levels. You will definitely feel good after the extended aerobic workout.

Stress-free life

Some people that have never tried roller skating before may find this sport tiring.

The reality is different though. This thrilling sport may knock the wind out of you but there are ways to roller skate peacefully. Find a quiet, scenic location that might be great for skating. Focus on the surroundings, enjoy the fresh air, and focus on the moment and your movements.

You perhaps hate to walk or jog but do it forcefully for the health benefits. No need to worry about it anymore since a fun outdoor activity like roller skating is your best way to reduce stress.

Boost your confidence

Roller Skating Exercise Benefits - Boost your confidence

Any sport requires you to learn a new set of skills and your confidence boosts up when you find yourself good at it. Your self-esteem pushes you to hit a new milestone whenever you learn or master a new trick.

Physical health benefits

Build muscle definition

This sport allows you to drop a few pounds over a three-month period. You can tone up and build muscle definition roller skating. In fact, you will notice an increase in muscle definition every time you go out to roller skate.

This is more than a cardio exercise since it helps flex and firm up your thighs, glutes, calves, and abs.

Your glutes get the best workout from skating. Gluteus maximus, miminus, and medius are the different muscles that your glutes are made of.

You have to bend, twist, and turn when you navigate turns or corners. These actions engage your backside and make it firm and well-defined.

Less chance of injuries

The impact of skating on the joints is 50 percent lesser than other sports that risk a higher number of injuries such as running.

You may have a permanent injury from running or walking if you’re not careful. What makes roller skating different is that every discipline of the sport has a low impact on the body.

There’s a fluid in the motion when you skate but no jerky movements often seen in aerobics, running, walking, or dancing. The fluid movement in skating helps reduce the chances of joint damage.

An endurance training

Roller Skating Exercise Benefits - An endurance training

The sport stresses your legs and glutes when you power through movements, which helps you develop strength and build muscles. You want to include uphill climbs in your skating sessions to improve your cardio health and muscle endurance.

The benefit is that your body won’t get tired from long distance skating or other extreme exercises. Your strengthened muscles and improved balance will help you avoid injuries and stay active.

Healthy heart

Roller skating helps strengthen your heart. Your heart rate increases to levels ranging from 140 to 160 BPM with moderate skating. On the other hand, skating at top speeds can increase the heart rate up to 180 BPM.

A great way to burn calories

An average-size man with a 190-pound body weight may burn around 10 calories/minute through skating. The fat-burning rate for a 163-pound average-size woman is about 9 calories/minute.

You can burn up to 600 calories with an hour of skating.

Improve your agility, balance, and coordination

As said before, roller skating helps improve your balance with added lower-back and abdominal muscle strength. The sport requires balance and leg movement coordination, which improves your overall coordinating capacity.

Better diabetes management

The American Diabetes Association suggests strength training and aerobic exercise to manage diabetes, and both are present in roller skating. This sport is a great example of aerobic exercise that helps your body manage insulin in better ways.

How? Your blood glucose level is decreased, the cholesterol level is improved, and the bones are strengthened with roller skating.

Works as a cross-training exercise

Roller skating is a great activity to keep yourself in shape during the off-seasons. Pick up your pair and start skating to develop your leg strength, reduce body fat, and burn calories.

FAQs

1. Do children need parental supervision for roller skating?

Ans. Parents don’t need to stay with their children but they are welcome to stay and have the fun themselves. Roller skating rinks are usually supervised but you shouldn’t count the place as a daycare facility.

2. Is roller skating safe for children?

Ans. Roller skating is two times safer than playgrounds, and three times safer than football or basketball. Roller skating centers are safe from drugs, smoke, or alcohol with a supervised environment.

About the author

Kevin Gerard

I started off my career as a mechanical engineer at a scooter manufacturing company back in 2012. I’ve been into kick scooters and swimming since the early years of my life. Over time, I quit the latter for the love of the former and soon started to be recognized as a kick scooter expert!

I wanted to take scooter designing professionally but my family forced me to study engineering. Luckily, I decided to study mechanical engineering! That made way for me to work in the field of kick scooter designing as a core researcher and developer.

I am one of the founding members of Scooterlay and I contribute to the website as the head of the research team. I am currently working on my first book on the basics of kick scooter riding. This is a guide for beginner riders that will soon be published by Warner House Press, Arizona.

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