Benefits of Inline Skating

Why has inline skating become one of the most popular activities throughout the world?

• Skating is versatile with its many different forms. An inline skater can choose to be a hockey player, artistic skater, street skater, speed skater, or recreational/fitness skater.
• Skating is accessible. It does not require a team, a ballpark, or a bunch of special equipment. All it requires is a pair of skates, safety equipment, and a hard surface. Most of us can literally skate right out our front door.
• Skating is inexpensive. A good pair of skates and safety equipment can be had for under $200. For that price you get several years of fun!
• Skating is good aerobic exercise. According to one study, inline skaters expend 570 calories per hour, equivalent to bicyclists.
• Skating is low impact. Another study showed that skating causes half the impact on joints as does running.
• Skating is safe. A 1994 comparison of injury rates in various sports showed that inline skating ranked number 11 out of 12 sports, with lower injury rates than common activities such as baseball, basketball, bicycling, soccer, swimming, and volleyball.

All of these benefits are merely icing on the cake, however, with the cake being that skating is fun. This is a simple statement but so very powerful. The fact that skating is fun is why skating feels more like an activity and less like a workout. It is why for many people putting on your skates to get out the door is so much easier than lacing up running shoes. It is why skaters often talk about the "feeling of freedom" that comes from skating. It is why you are currently a skater - or why you should take a lesson to become one.