All Inline Skating Begins With a Solid Foundation

Now, you have your own new, used or temporary equipment, and have taken all of the steps needed to prepare to skate. Learning to skate from the beginning or returning to skating after a long absence will progress as fast as your basic skating skills are good.

Build Yourself a Solid Inline Skating Foundation

Think of yourself as one of the houses that were built by the Three Little Pigs. Now is the time to choose straw, wood or brick. Whether your inline skating goals are for social, recreational, fitness, quality family time or for eventual participation in any of the organized or competitive inline roller sports, your building will need to have a very solid foundation.

Where Your Eyes Focus While You Skate is Important

Your eyes are very important to your inline skating. But not just for sightseeing and safety. Your skates will eventually lead you to the place your eyes are focused on, whether it's down the path, around the rink, through a crowd or down onto the pavement. For all inline skating and training purposes, look up to where you want your body to go instead of where you are afraid it may end up as you use the basic skills below.

Your Knees Are Your Inline Skating Shock Absorbers

Think of your knees as your shock absorbers. When bent and soft, they can work hard for you to absorb the irregularities of rough surfaces, soften bumps and distribute your weight as you skate around curves. Locked knees will decrease your stability in any maneuver and transmit jarring motions through your whole body with every crack or crevice that you skate over.

Keep Your Head On Straight While You Inline Skate

Imagine an extra six to eight pounds of weight hanging on any one of the four sides of your body while inline skating. It would definitely affect your balance and your ability to maneuver. Center your head over your shoulders and hold it up, so it does not become an extra weight that you will need to compensate for in order to maintain balance while inline skating.

You Are Inline Skating, Not Swimming

New inline skaters of all ages panic and flail and flutter their arms around to regain balance when a fall is imminent. This is not a good plan, since the same fluttering movements that help your tread water in a swimming pool will only throw you more off balance on inline skates. Your skates will react to all body movements. If you're losing your balance, keep the upper body still, keep the arms still and any movement should be to the basic or ready stance.

Use the inline skating foundation, focus and body concepts outlined above for all inline training and activities.