Rollerblading, also known as inline skating, is making a comeback after its height of popularity in the 80s and 90s. People are looking for fun, outdoor activities beyond the gym, and rollerblading fits the bill.
Though learning the basics takes some practice, rollerblading is an easy activity once you get the hang of it. It can provide as much of a workout as jogging or using a treadmill, with the bonus of fun. Medical research ranks it as one of the top three activities for improving health and fitness.
Rollerblading offers both exercise and enjoyment for all ages and abilities. You can do it solo to burn calories or socially with friends and family to strengthen relationships. It’s an activity that builds community and well-being.
The benefits of rollerblading include:
- Improved cardiovascular health from elevated heart rate
- Muscle toning, especially in legs and core
- Enhanced balance and coordination
- Stress relief and mood boost from endorphins
- Outdoor time and vitamin D absorption
Rather than overlooking rollerblading as exercise, why not give it a try? Strap on those skates and rediscover the joy of this classic activity. You’ll have fun while burning calories and improving your health. It’s a simple, accessible way to get moving.
Rollerblading Exercise?
If you know what rollerblading is or not, let us tell you. They are skate shoes with two to five wheels under the boots.
Rollerblading is a low-impacting exercise. It keeps a minimum impact on the foot-to-ground ratio, so your joints will not be as stressed. If you are scared or think it’s hard to learn, then you are wrong. If children can understand it, then anyone can. Yes, you might fall a couple of times, but once you learn to keep balance, you will enjoy it more than anything.
Rollerblading exercise is very much beneficial, as we explain its benefits below. It is great for getting fresh air and enjoying a new activity in life.
Manage Weight/Burn Calories
When one thinks of rollerblading, one thinks it’s just something one does for fun. People often need help understanding that rollerblading can help to maintain weight and even lose it. Did you know that?
The first rule of losing weight or maintaining weight is burning calories. Let us say you were to stake for 60 minutes. These 60 minutes mean you burn off 550-700 calories. Remember, the number of calories will vary depending on weight and time. According to research, rollerblading is a strenuous cardiovascular exercise. If you eat more than average, you can roller skate, using those calories as energy and eliminating them from burning fat.
Roller skating is an exercise that you can do indoors and out. All you have to do is put on your skates and get going. Rollerblading exercise does not come to mind when thinking of losing or maintaining weight. However, it’s a simple, fun thing that will not feel like a burden, and you can do it anytime you like. If you eat out or have a fuller meal in your routine, add rollerblading. It will help to burn calories, which will lead to losing weight.
Become Stress-Free and Ecstatic
Stress is something that comes with the life package. No matter where you are, age, ethnicity, or gender, you will face some stress. It can be stressed about your job, money, family, study, or anything. Rollerblading will help not only physically but also mentally. Rollerblading exercises can also help you manage and decrease your stress levels. This exercises will also help you think more clearly and make your mind work faster.
How will skating help your mood and stress? You may have heard that exercise helps with anxiety, but exercising in a closed room space will not help you much. Indoor exercising, whether at home or the gym, is good but will not make you feel as fresh as outside.
Let us imagine. You had a stressful week. Just wear your skates and go to a park or hill near you. You will get fresh air, oxygen, and pleasant, relaxing scenery with trees, grass, and flowers. At times, even doctors recommend rollerblading. Your rollerblading exercise will release serotonin neurochemicals, making you relaxed and joyous and managing depression and anxiety.
Strengthens The Heart
To stay alive, we need to have a healthy heart. It is the most important organ, or you can say pump, in the body. However, the sad fact is that heart diseases increase daily. According to the CDC, one person dies every 36 seconds in the US alone (that’s around 655,000 deaths each year).
What is the solution? Aerobic exercises. According to the American Heart Association, the most effective style of aerobic exercise is rollerblading. Why? It’s the best solution, increasing your heartbeat to around 180 beats per second.
Roller skating helps to keep your resting HR (heart rate) and BP (blood pressure) low. Furthermore, it helps diminish cholesterol and any chance of a person having heart disease. Rollerblading makes your heart stronger and is an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise. You can challenge yourself by adding different routes, like going up a hill.
In simple words, rollerblading exercise strengthens the heart muscles and boosts them. If you skate for 30 minutes, your heart rate will be 148 per minute.
Helps Win Over Diabetes
Similar to heart disease, another disease taking over the world is diabetes. Diabetes is a long-lasting health condition that affects the process of food turning into energy. How does rollerblading help to control or prevent diabetes? It helps by improving your cholesterol levels, relieves stress, and regulates your insulin. Stress, heart, glucose levels, and cholesterol levels are some factors that cause diabetes. These factors are controlled when a person roller skates.
Doctors recommend patients who have diabetes do at least 30 minutes of light exercise daily. Rollerblading comes under light aerobic exercise. Roller skating lowers the sugar level in your blood by making your heart work and beat faster. Your muscles use the glucose you have. As your body uses more glucose and insulin in your body, then it has a chance to work better. These effects last many hours after the session.
According to the ADA (American Diabetes Association), strength training and aerobic exercise are two physical activities that help to manage and prevent diabetes. Rollerblading is a combination of both of these activities.
The two essential factors in your body are balanced sugar levels and a healthy heart. Rollerblading helps with both. Why not give it a try and become healthy?
Works Your Whole Body
A person often thinks that rollerblading is the work of your legs only. However, that is not a fact. Inline skating works on your heart and diabetes, but it also works on your whole body. When we say it works your whole body, we mean your bones, joints, and muscles. It’s not only your legs getting the benefits; even your arms are working and getting toned.
Firstly, let’s start with the legs. Rollerblading works all your leg muscles, like calves and glutes, and it also works your hips, ankles, and knees simultaneously. It strengthens your legs and gives you better balance and control when you are in an upright position.
You were now coming to your arms. Skating forces you to swing your arms. You use your components to maintain balance, which gives you strength and control over your arm. It works the shoulders without impacting or straining them too much. Inline skating also gets you working different muscles, from your legs, arms, and back. It helps by strengthening and toning them.
It makes you work your core and lower back muscles to relieve any stress or strains causing you pain. Rollerblading also strengthens your joints and has a positive influence on them. Many people who have problems doing exercises because of joint pains should try rollerblading.
Fun Social Activity
Roller skating has a lot of health benefits, but it can also help you develop yourself. It’s a fun fitness activity and a way to socialize and build self-confidence. If you’re a person who enjoys roller skating alone, then, by all means, you want it your way. However, if you wish to overcome your shyness and make new friends, then this is a good way.
You can find many rollerblading groups who skate in groups, no matter your age. You can meet new friends while getting the exercise you need. If you wanted, you could even join local competitions.
You could make it a family activity, as there is no age limit. You will spend time with your family while ensuring everyone is healthy and happy. Rollerblading will help you overcome shyness and build self-confidence by going out. You will start to socialize when you join groups, which is always a good thing.
Remember Safety
If you were thinking of rollerblading or rollerblading, remember to ensure your safety. It’s not only rollerblading that needs security; any exercise will require you to take some precautions.
Ensure to gear up.
Buying rollerblades is the first step. However, the second step is buying its safety gear. The first and most important gear is the helmet. You need to buy a helmet that is precisely your size to keep you from getting any head injury if you fall. You will need to buy wrist guards and elbow and knee pads. These will protect your hands, wrist, knee, and elbow joints if you happen to fall. This gear will prevent getting a severe injury.
Check your surrounding
It would be best if you planned where you would be roller-staking. Once you decide on the area, stay aware of your surroundings.
If you plan to roller-stake through your neighborhood, keep traffic and walk-by people in mind. Also, please look for the surface, as it can vary. Going to a park can be the best way because it will have clear pathways and more safety. However, you will still need to be on the lookout for stones or sticks on the floor that get stuck and cause you to fall.
FAQs
Can you lose weight by rollerblading?
Yes, you can lose weight by rollerblading. To lose weight, you need to burn calories. Rollerblading is considered one of the top exercises for burning calories. In one hour, a person can burn around 500-700 calories, and you need to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound. If you were to do it daily, it would help you lose weight.
What muscles does rollerblading work?
Rollerblading works on many different muscles. Most work is on your lower body. It works on your quadriceps, glutes, adductors, and abductors of your thighs, calves, and shins. It tones and strengthens them.
Is rollerblading better than running?
Rollerblading is better than running. It is safer on the joints, and the side-to-side movement builds better muscles. Rollerblading is a low-impacting aerobic exercise. Even though both burn around the same calories, rollerblading is much better for building endurance and balance.
Is rollerblading a full-body workout?
Yes, as we mentioned before, rollerblading works on the whole of your body. It works your organs, muscles, and joints and strengthens them. Yes, the main workout is of the legs, but it covers other aspects also.
Can we consider rollerblading as cardio?
Yes, Rollerblading can be considered cardio. Any aerobic exercise is great for a cardio workout, whether running, swimming, or even yoga. Rollerblading comes under aerobic exercise with low impact, making it great for cardio.
Final Words
If you are trying rollerblading, we recommend going for it. As there is a saying, you will not know of something till you try it, and there is no harm in trying new things, especially those that benefit you in many ways.
Why miss out on the chance to do a low-impact cardio exercise that will also liven you up and make you feel happy and fresh? Get yourself some skates and give it a go. You know practice makes perfect. You will fall, but keep in mind that once you learn, you will get many benefits.
