​THE RINK

Health Benefits

Great for improving balance, agility and coordination: Roller skating helps improve balance with the strength of abdominal and lower-back muscles since you must maintain a steady core to stay upright. Coordinating balance and leg movement improves coordination.

Great for mental health: In your brain, exercise stimulates chemicals that improve your mood and the parts of the brain responsible for memory and learning. This, along with the music and social aspects of roller skating, releases chemicals like endorphins and serotonin that improve your mood. It can also get you out in the world, help to reduce any feelings of loneliness and isolation, and put you in touch with other people.

Calorie (fat) burning: An average-sized man who weighs around 86kg can expect to burn about 10 calories each minute of roller skating, while an average-sized woman weighing 74kg can expect to burn about 9 calories per minute. The calorie-burning benefits of roller skating add up quickly; you can burn between 300 and 600 calories if you skate for a full hour.

Works the arms and legs: Skating works the legs and glutes as you power through movement, while your arms and core get a workout as you balance your body during the movement. According to GetRolling.com, roller skating helps build strength, especially in the muscles of the lower body. Stronger muscles and better coordination work together to prevent injuries and keep you active and limber as you age.

Strengthen the heart: The American Heart Association recognises roller skating as an effective aerobic exercise that helps strengthen the heart. According to research conducted at the Universitat Konstantx, moderate roller skating increases a skater’s heart rate to levels ranging from 140 to 160 beats per minute, while skating at top speeds can increase heart rate up to around 180 beats per minute.

Easy on the joints: Skating provides you with fluid motion that keeps you from damaging your joints, helping you enjoy movement similar to running to or dancing without the harsh impact. According to a study conducted by the University of Massachusetts, skating causes less than 50% of the impact shock to joints compared to running.

Great as a cross-training exercise: Roller skating is equivalent to jogging in terms of health benefits and caloric consumption, reduction of body fat, and leg strength development. So if you’re an athlete and you’re looking for an activity to keep you in shape during the offseason, pick up a pair of skates! 

Improve endurance: In addition to increasing muscle strength, roller skating can help increase muscle endurance. Adding a few speed skating rounds to each skating session trains your muscles, along with your cardiovascular system, to use the body’s energy stores more efficiently. This means you can skate longer distances – and do other intense workouts – without becoming exhausted.