Is Roller Skating a Good Workout?

 Everyone wants to take care of their body. However, when it comes to staying physically active, there are a number of challenges that crop up. There just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day, so it’s no wonder that many of us struggle to devote our precious spare time to punishing physical activity.

Is Roller Skating a Good Workout?

The easiest way around this conundrum is to find something you really enjoy doing. You could just push through and do an activity you dread. In the short run, it may even be more efficient, but you’re also less likely to stick with that routine long-term. If you want a healthier lifestyle, then you need something you love. Roller skating could very well be perfect for you.

Roller Skating is a Family Activity

As much as you love them, your kids are one of the many reasons you have no time. Fortunately, this is one exercise that you can easily enjoy together. It will take a little time for them to learn, but they’ll be outpacing you on their kids’ roller blades before you know it.

Once they’re ready to go, you can skate around the neighborhood or on your local bike trails. Having a positive destination is often helpful for longer skate trips, but you can even jam out in your own driveway. Just play some music you can all enjoy and let your feet do their thing. Regardless of your skating activity, you’ll be burning calories, improving your balance, and having fun.

Roller Skating is Actually a Decent Calorie Burner


The average person weighing around 120 pounds will burn about 11 calories per minute while running. You may think that the lower resistance of skating would lower that calorie burn substantially, but that isn’t entirely true. A person weighing around 168 pounds burns about 9 calories per minute. It isn’t a direct comparison given the weight being used to estimate calorie burn. However, it does show us that it’s relatively close.

Once you add the fact that you’re more likely to skate for a longer period of time because it’s more fun and less punishing, you’re more likely to come out ahead. You may burn 220 calories on a 20-minute run, but you’ll burn 540 in an hour of moderately fast skating. That hour goes by so fast when you’re just having fun with your family. You may not even notice.



Roller Skating is Much Kinder to Your Body

Being an avid athlete is commendable, but all physical activity comes with a cost to the body. Running and bicycling tend to top the charts for exercises that cause damage to the joints over time. Fortunately, activities like roller skating and swimming are there to allow you to get the exercise you need while being very gentle on your joints.

As a result, roller skating is a great cross-training exercise for everyone. Kids protect their still-developing bodies, and adults can stay active while giving their knees a break. This is one of the many reasons why roller skating is often touted as an ideal exercise for older people who are struggling with damage to their joints.

Roller Skating is Great Cardio

A lot of people worry that roller skating isn’t intense enough to qualify as a workout, but the truth is that it’s proven to be excellent cardio despite not making you feel horrible. As long as you maintain a moderate pace, your heart rate will increase. Surveys show that the average is between 140 and 160 beats per minute, right around the ideal cardio and fat burning range. Skaters that are really booking it tend to reach about 180 beats per minute, pushing the heart just enough to give it what it really wants, a challenge.

Getting Started

Luckily, it isn’t hard to get into skating. Your inline skate shop will set you up with all the gear you will need, and your local rink will help you get started. You may even choose to take classes at your local rink if you have children who need more structure. Overall, you’ll find a vibrant community and helpful people that make skating even more fun.

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