RollinRodgers – Peace Love and Roller Skating – Dec. 22, 2020
Let me tell you why you should start roller skating TODAY! A lot of us are familiar with roller skating. Perhaps you attended a few skate parties as a kid, or maybe you frequented the rink on the weekends with friends like I did, however after our adolescence years most of us hung up our skating days. I actually extended my skate days for a few more years when I took my first job at 16 as a rollerskating carhop at Sonic Drive-In! It was an amazing first job and somehow I stayed fit even while eating chili cheese coneys and mozzarella sticks errrrday! I never really attributed skating to keeping me fit because it was my job and I never felt like I was actually “working out”. However, in retrospect I was burning 400-600 calories per hour on them bad boys! I quit skating when I quit Sonic at 18 and it would be a decade later when I would magically find my way back into this amazing hobby and workout! At 28 I received a magical pair of purple Moxi Lolly Roller Skates for my birthday and I haven’t attended another workout class since.
- 1. The Obvious. BURN CALORIES!
Yes! Again roller skating burns 400-600 calories PER HOUR! That is pretty much the equivalent of a boot camp exercise class, or any workout class for that matter! It all depends on your size and level of exertion. Just some basic laps around a rink will burn around 400 calories, however when I dance skate I actually burn closer to 700 calories because I am doing a lot of crazy dance moves and floor work, which REALLY burns those leg muscles! My favorite leg burner move is Crazy Legs! But seriously, roller skating is the best workout because it doesn’t even feel like a workout and that’s a workout I can get behind!
- 2. Improve Strength and Balance!
You essentially are using all of your muscles when you roller skate, making it a full body workout! In addition to strengthening and toning your quads, glutes, hamstrings, shins, calfs, and hips, skating also engages your core muscles. Yes, you can get abs while rollerskating… IF you are dedicated and lace up 3-5 times a week! Your core muscles include your abs, pelvic floor and the muscles than run along your spine and are important for posture, preventing back pain and injuries. I’ve noticed a DRASTIC change in my leg definition and my balance since roller skating. It is so rewarding when you notice your legs getting stronger, allowing you to unlock new skate moves you never thought were possible! I’ve also noticed a huge difference in my yoga practice! I can hold poses for much longer than I could prior to skating! But I do want to address, if you are a brand new skater, take time to familiarize yourself with your skates. The last thing you want is a broken wrist on your first skate outing! There are tons of beginner roller skate lessons on YouTube! Wear your protective gear and learn how to fall! Yes, you are going to fall, and yes there are proper ways to do it! (Check out this YouTube video on how to fall properly!)
- 3. Skate Therapy!
Roller skating is my therapy. Roller skating for me is an outlet to feel better! Life is a roller coaster full of ups and downs, but skating helps roll me out of those horrible nasty funks that we all tend to get into. Roller skating literally releases endorphins, the feel good brain chemical, which can improve your mood and even help battle symptoms of anxiety and depression! Yes, you read that right. Skating could potentially CHANGE your life and pull you out of depression! If you struggle with anxiety or depression, (it’s 2020, I’m pretty sure we are all suffering from one or both), a quick one time investment in a pair of roller skates could be the miracle drug you’ve been searching for! Just please be careful when starting out. Make sure to learn the basics if you are a beginner and learn HOW to fall, becasue trust me, there will be falls. The last thing you need is a broken wrist to go along with that depression. But just 20 minutes of skating can boost your mood for up to 12 hours after! If you are feeling down, forcing yourself to skate for 20 minutes a day could be the mental boost you’ve been looking for!
- 4. Improves Heart Health!
Heart disease is serious. It is the number one killer in the United States. Factors such as age, smoking, high blood pressure and a poor diet can contribute to development of heart disease. Fortunately there is an easy way to combat this condition- yes you guess it- ROLLER SKATING! Skating for 30 minutes produces a heart rate of 148 beats per minute! And if you’re like me and were born with heart defects, (I was born with two holes in my heart, they sewed one up, and left one there) I am always looking for a great way to keep my heart healthy! Roller skating does just that.
- 5. Two Words. SKATE FAM!
I have met some of the most amazing people on wheels! Roller skating has introduced me to some of my best friends and I continue to make new friends on skates! My community of skaters inspire me every day. One of my most favorite fellow skaters is Dee Upshaw. Look him up if you haven’t heard of him. (@dee_upshaw on Instagram!) His love of roller skating is infectious. He exudes pure bliss and happiness when he skates. It is really a beautiful thing to know we don’t have to be miserable as we age. There’s this notion that we have to “grow up” and “quit playing” as adults. Roller skating is play. I have found that happiness comes when you do play and don’t grow up.