Inline Skating Exercise Benefits
by: Peter Kudlacz
Inline skating is an enjoyable way to get in shape and stay
fit especially on warm sunny days when it's a lot more enjoyable
to exercise outdoors than on a treadmill or exercise bike indoors
at the gym. These days most cities have nicely paved paths through
parkland, beach and waterfront areas to make your rollerblading
experience more enjoyable. Unfortunately depending on where you
live, you may not be able to or want to rollerblade all year round.
There are many benefits to be derived from inline skating.
It's much easier and safer on the knees and back than jogging
since your legs aren't taking as much pounding against a hard
surface. You don't have to travel as far as cycling to get maximum
benefits. Along with a great cardiovascular workout, blading provides
you with a fantastic lower body workout by strengthening and toning
your thighs, gluteus, calves and hamstrings. It's like doing thousands
of lunges using your own body weight without even realizing it
or getting bored!
I also recommend that you combine blading with strength training
exercises with weights such as leg extensions, leg presses and
calf raises to name a few. This will ensure that your muscles
and bones remain strong and it helps to prevent any possible injuries
from occurring.
Before you begin inline skating for the day, you may want to
do a little bit of light stretching particularly focusing on your
thighs and hamstrings. Right now there is debate over whether
or not to stretch before exercising. I believe you should do what
feels best for you. Also, the first few minutes should be done
at a slower pace as a warm up for your muscles.
I find that roller blading is extremely safe once you get proficient
at it. Rarely will you fall by yourself. If you do, it's usually
a result of your surroundings. No different than cycling or walking
on a sidewalk. To prevent injuries and scrapes, you may wish to
purchase elbow, wrist and knee pads plus a helmet.
What should you look for when buying a pair of inline skates?
If you're new to this sport, I suggest you either borrow a pair
from a friend or rent a pair just to try it out, get a feel. When
you're ready to buy a pair there are a few things to look for.
If you're going to buy a really cheap pair I'll guarantee you
that you will not enjoy inline skating. What I suggest that you
buy a pair in the mid-price range.
What should you look for in a pair of inline skates? The obvious
being that the boot fits your feet properly in a pair of sports
socks. If you feel the boot rubbing against your ankles or your
toes rubbing inside the boot, try another pair because ill-fitted
boots will result in blisters and soar feet. Just like a badly
fitting pair of running shoes.
I prefer laces for the boot with one plastic or velcro strap
at the top and soft boots with plastic heel and bottom moldings
for extra support. Soft boots with no plastic molding support
usually give way to your ankle over time. Wheels should be in
the 76-78mm range. 80mm is too big a wheel for most people. Look
for bearings with ABEC 4-5. Most quality inline skates come with
ABEC 5 bearings nowadays anyway.
I've tried several different makes of inline skates over the
years. I find I like K2 the best and highly recommend them. I
like their sleek design, they fit my feet very well and have great
support. K2s are also very comfortable and light in weight. Ultra
Wheels are also very good and I hear that Salomon are quality
blades too.
Inline skates are easy to maintain. The wheels need to be rotated
every once in a while to prevent uneven wearing out. So if you
use them 3 times a week, monthly is fine or take a look for how
much wear there is on the wheels. The bearings need to be lubricated
too. I do this by removing the wheel bearings assembly and wiping
the surface of any dirt and then spraying the entire wheel bearing
assembly with lubricant. I don't remove the bearings from the
assembly casing any more since I find very little dirt gets in
there and it's a lot of work.
In this article I've discussed the cardiovascular and strength
training benefits associated with inline skating. What you should
look for when purchasing a pair of inline skates and their proper
maintenance.
About The Author: Peter Kudlacz - Please visit my website
at Popular Fitness ( http://www.popularfitness.com ) for online
fitness programs, exercise instruction guides, resources and tips.
You can find more fitness and health articles at: http://www.popularfitness.com/articles Inline
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