No matter how young or old you are or what shape you are in at the moment, inline fitness skating helps you get or stay in shape and have fun while doing it. If you are looking for reasons to inline skate, fitness skating is a great way to participate in an activity that benefits both your body and your mind and can be done at any location that recreational inline skaters use. It is one of the easiest-to-access, low-impact, high aerobic sports you’ll find.
How is Fitness Skating Different from Recreational Skating?
Inline fitness skating is a little different from recreational activities, because participants focus on combining serious skating for medical, mental or physical benefits with their fun skating activities for pure pleasure.
Since it’s fun and still provides opportunities for socialization and networking like recreational skating, most fitness inline skaters roll for longer periods of time than participants in other similar aerobic activities. Fitness skating is a great low-impact replacement for running, because you can burn a lot of calories without unnecessary wear-and-tear on your joints. Regardless of what your current program includes, fitness skating can be very beneficial as an addition to your existing exercise routine. Your extra skating time will increase the effectiveness of all of the physical and mental health benefits listed below.
- Improve balance and coordination
- Weight loss and maintenance
- Stress reduction
- Aerobic cardiovascular fitness and endurance
- Anaerobic muscle development
- Increase flexibility and range-of-motion
Fitness Inline Skates and Gear
Fitness inline skaters invest a little more on skates that can be used both indoors and outdoors than recreational skaters. Some even choose higher quality skates intended for another specific discipline like marathon or entry level speed skates to get a better fit, more control or more speed than the models called "fitness skates" may offer.
All fitness skating activities will require a good set of safety gear. This set should include a helmet, a knee pad set, an elbow pad set and wrist protectors or guards. Some skaters even use supplemental safety gear and wear sturdy skate wear for extra protection.
Anyone who is concerned about health and likes to inline skate should use fitness skating as part of their program. If you are a new skater, as soon as you find suitable inline skates, master your inline skating basics, there will be some fitness skating activities that are just right for you.
The kind of skating that interests you will determine the type of training, skates and gear you will need. Take a good look at many of the inline skating roller sports options:
- Recreational inline skating includes a variety of activities that are suitable for skaters of all ages and many skating levels.
- Inline fitness skating is more goal-oriented skating to achieve medical, mental or physical benefits.
- Street and road skating are organized group events on public thoroughfares and smooth paved roads.
- Speed skating and inline racing are recognized as competitive disciplines around the world.
- Marathon skating events are taking place on every continent.
- Freestyle slalom skating lets you dance and spin around cones.
- Dryland skating or inline figure skating is very similar to ice figure skating.
- Inline hockey skating is a popular year-round sport at amateur, scholastic, and professional levels.
- Inline roller soccer is a unique version of regular soccer.
- Roller cricket athletes play all batting, bowling and fielding positions on roller skates.
- Roll ball is becoming a popular school sport.
- Inline basketball is an easy roller sport to develop.
- Aggressive and stunt skating includes jumps, grinds, slides and flips.
- Urban inline skating is a great activity for young or young-at-heart thrill-seekers.
- Skate cross is an aggressive ramp and obstacle course race on inline or quad skates.
- Off road and all terrain skating combines mountain biking and skiing with inline skating.
- Nordic inline skating is also called cross-skating or Nordic blading.
- Kite skating is an extreme inline-based roller sport.
- Wind skating or skate sailing is a wind powered inline sport.
- Downhill racing is similar to the Alpine downhill ski racing.
You can also get a quick overview of many inline skating sports. If you are not sure that your interests will be dedicated to any one of these specific skating styles, start by building a good foundation in recreational or fitness activities and training. Good basic skills will take you in any direction that you want to roll. If you do not find an inline roller sport that is just right for you, then take a look at the quad skating sports opportunities.
