Roller Skating for Fitness: A Fun and Effective Workout

As an outdoor enthusiast focused on the outdoor niche, I’m always exploring new and fun ways to stay active outdoors. One activity that I’ve recently rediscovered and fallen in love with is roller skating. I have felt about Roller Skating for Fitness.

Not only is strapping on a pair of skates and gliding around the neighborhood or local skate park a blast, but roller skating is also an incredibly effective and engaging workout routine. 

In this blog post, I’ll discuss the many fitness and health benefits of roller skating, provide tips for beginners, outline some sample roller skating workout routines, recommend the best roller skate brands for fitness skating, and explain why I believe roller skating is one of the most enjoyable and sustainable workout options out there. Whether you’re looking to shake up your usual routine or rediscover an old childhood pastime, I hope you’ll be inspired to give fitness skating a try after reading this.

Why Roller Skating is Such a Great Workout

Roller skating is a full-body workout that builds endurance, strength, balance and coordination. Gliding on wheels requires utilizing core and leg muscles to maintain posture, balance and control over your skates. It also gets your heart pumping by combining cardio activity with the fun flow of skating around. Some key benefits include:

• Burns calories and fat: A 155 pound person can expect to burn around 600 calories per hour of roller skating. The combination of cardio and muscle use leads to significant calorie and fat burn.

   

• Tones legs and butt: The consistent motion of pushing off and controlling skates tones and strengthens thighs, glutes, hips and calves. I felt the burn big time after my first few skating sessions!

   

• Improves endurance: Roller skating is a serious cardio workout that keeps your heart rate elevated, increases lung capacity and boosts endurance over time. I can now skate longer distances without getting tired.

   

• Enhances balance and coordination: Cruising on four wheels requires engaging a myriad of muscles to maintain balance and control. My overall coordination has improved dramatically.

   

• It’s low-impact: Unlike running, roller skating is lower impact and easier on joints like knees and ankles while still providing an intense workout. I recover from skating sessions faster than tough runs.

Tips for Beginners on Roller Skating for Fitness

If you’re intrigued by the idea of trying roller skating to get in shape, improve health or simply have fun, here are my top five tips for beginners:

1. Buy quality, supportive skates – Having the right skates makes a huge difference in control, balance and preventing injury. Check out my recommended fitness skate brands below.

    

2. Safety first – Wear protective gear like knee pads, elbow pads, wrist guards and helmets, especially if you’ll be skating outdoors. I wiped out a few times while getting used to skating again. Gear is essential!

    

3. Start slow on smooth surfaces – Begin outdoors on smooth sidewalks or paths without many hills. I started in empty parking lots to practice balance and footing. Indoor rinks are a great controlled environment too.

    

4. Stagger your stance – Staggering your feet with one in front of the other improves balance and control. I felt wobbly at first with feet parallel.

    

5. Bend those knees – Keep knees softly bent to better absorb impact and maintain control. Straight legs make it harder to balance and turn. Proper knee bending and foot placement will come with practice.

Sample Roller Skating Workout Routines

Here are two sample weekly workout routines that incorporate roller skating at different frequencies based on your goals and experience level:

Routine 1 – For Beginner Fitness Skaters

– Monday: 30 minute skating session focusing on stance, balance and form

– Tuesday: Rest day  

– Wednesday 45 minute skate session + 30 minutes strength training

– Thursday: Rest day

– Friday: 1 hour skate session

– Saturday: Rest 

– Sunday: 45 minute skate session

Routine 2 – For Intermediate Fitness Skaters

– Monday: 90 minute skate session on hilly trail 

– Tuesday: 30 minutes strength training + core  

– Wednesday: 60 minute outdoor skate session 

– Thursday: 45 minutes HIIT cardio + 30 minutes stretch/yoga

– Friday: 90 minute skate session 

– Saturday: 60 minute skate session

– Sunday: Rest

 

Best Roller Skate Brands for Fitness

Having quality skates suited for fitness skating makes all the difference when it comes to control, stability and absorbing impact. Based on my experience skating outdoors for exercise, here are my top recommended roller skate brands:

1. Rollerblade – One of the most trusted brands in fitness skating for their superior support, durability and performance. Their soft boots provide comfort while skating longer distances.

    

2. Powerslide – Known for specializing in fitness skates suited for cardio training and marathon skating sessions. They are on the pricier side but deliver an incredibly smooth and responsive ride.

    

3. Roces – This lesser-known Italian skate company offers fitness skates with excellent shock absorption and ventilation to keep your feet comfortable and cool while exercising. 
4. Bladerunner – For newbies on a budget, Bladerunner makes very affordable fitness skates without sacrificing too much performance and comfort. Their supportive boots helped me regain confidence on wheels.

No matter which brand you select, be sure to get properly measured at a skate shop and try on multiple pairs. The correct size and fit makes all the difference in getting the most out of fitness skating without pain or lack of mobility.

Why I Fell in Love with Roller Skating Workouts  

While roller skating provides an incredibly effective cardio, strength and balance workout, the main reason I’ve come to love fitness skating so much is simple – it’s an absolute blast! 

Strapping on skates and rolling outdoors across smooth pavement, hearing the hum of urethane wheels beneath you – it’s hard not to feel carefree. Between the flow state of steady strides, learning fun tricks, playing lively music through portable speakers and checking out funky skate parks, fitness skating feels more like play than work most of the time.

Beyond the physical benefits, I find that skating is amazing for my mental health too. Cruising along peacefully helps clear my mind, reduce daily stress and return me to a more meditative, calm state of being. The combination of workout “high” and reduced anxiety after an hour or two on wheels leaves me feeling wonderfully blissful. 

Few other forms of exercise have brought me as much pure, unadulterated joy as strapping on skates and rolling freely to fun beats. While it may take some practice to get comfortable balancing on four wheels again, I couldn’t recommend fitness skating more to anyone looking for both physical AND mental boosts while having a darn good time!

So lace up those skates and hit the pavement, my friends. I welcome you to coast happily into the feel-good workout wonder that is roller skating. Your endorphins and inner child will thank you!

Let me know if you have any other questions about getting started with roller skating fitness. I’m happy to offer more tips and tricks to make your skating sessions as safe, effective and flat-out fun as possible. Until then, happy rolling!