It’s
Time to Get Rolling!
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Photo
by Stephen Rusk |
By Sue
Bream
We all have seen inline skaters (rollerbladers) zip past us while we
were out walking on our favorite path. Maybe you have thought to yourself
that it looks like a lot of fun and great exercise. Well, it really
is, and it’s also excellent cross-training for walkers.
Inline
skating became popular in the late 1980s when a pair of brothers living
in Minnesota were trying to figure out how to train for ice hockey in
the summertime. They found an old pair of inline skates, which they
refined and came up with Rollerblade® inline skates. Since then,
inline skates have gone through as many changes as running/walking shoes
in comfort, appearance, performance, and affordability.
While walking
is an activity that largely exercises muscles in a front-to-back plane
of motion, skating exercises muscles in lateral and diagonal planes
of motion. It also burns a lot more calories than walking, improves
balance, and is low-impact on the joints. Inline skating also provides
a great form of aerobic exercise.
Our bodies
need to be balanced in order to remain healthy and optimally functional.
If we only build muscle strength in a certain range of motion and not
others, we risk injuries that could result from that muscle imbalance.
Walkers often overuse their hip flexors and hamstrings. Skating balances
this because it involves a lot of quads, glutes, back muscles, and even
works the abdominal muscles.
So, go
ahead and dig those skates out of your closet or head to your local
skate shop.
If you have not skated before, consider finding a qualified instructor
and take a lesson. Skaters who take lessons learn how to skate safely,
learn proper technique for maximum fitness benefit, and most important,
they learn how to stop effectively. It won’t be long before you
are reaping the benefits of a great calorie burning, muscle-toning,
joint-friendly, and fun form of exercise. You will also realize that
there are lots of others to skate with, since, like walking, it can
be a social activity.
Once you
learn how to skate, there are many places to explore. Practicing in
an empty parking lot or smoothly paved playground is a great idea before
you actually hit the trails. There are several professional inline skate
schools in the Pacific Northwest: Get Your Bearings Inline Skate School
LLC, Project Roll, Skate Journeys Skate School; Gregg’s Greenlake
Skate School (all greater Seattle area); and Portlandskate in Oregon.
In fact, you can travel pretty much anywhere in the world and find an
inline skate school by searching the Internet or checking with a local
skating rink.
The next
time an inline skater breezes past you while you are out walking, consider
heading home to strap on your skates. Your walking muscles will thank
you!
Sue
Bream owns Get Your Bearings Inline Skate School LLC in the Seattle
area. Her skate school offers a wide variety of classes from beginner
to advanced levels, including inline marathon training and racing. To
learn more logon to www.getyourbearings.com.
Training
Tips
By
Trish Alexander
Whether
you wish to try skating a half, or whole marathon, or skate a
5k, you might be surprised to know how easy it is to accomplish
this feat. Here are some tips and for purposes of brevity they
apply to a half marathon, which is about 13 miles.
1. Start preparing three months before the event. Set up a training
schedule for short and/or medium skates and in the second two
months, long skates. First month: a 2 and 5 mile skate. Second
month: 4, 7, and 9 mile skates. Third month: 5, 10, and 14 mile
skates. Adjust based on your ability, but end the third or last
month with your distance exceeding the event distance. Please
note, however, if you can skate 8 or 9 miles, you can likely
complete the 13 miles.
2. Don’t change skates midstream as you need to
insure they fit well. Before starting training, check with your
retailer to insure you’ve got the right skates for your
goal.
3. Find other skaters to skate with in order to learn
more and to insure you increase speed. Seasoned skaters love
to share their knowledge, so don’t be afraid to ask for
help.
4. Stride Three is the basic stride done by recreational
skaters who skate for distance. It is a technical stride, so
find someone who can teach you, or search the Web for ideas.
You will know if you are skating correctly when it feels effortless.
5. Drink water while you skate. Muscles need water to
work since they are 75% water. Learn to drink water while training.
Often people think they have run out of fuel, when in fact they
have simply depleted their water stores. Begin increasing water
intake several days prior to the event. A camelback (bladder
type) hydration system works well for carrying water. A 16-ounce
bottle is not enough.
6. Eat correctly the day before and the day of the event.
Take carb bars along with you.
7. Don’t worry about what time you cross the finish
line, simply delight in your success.
8. Chat with the other skaters. Skaters are a fun group,
rarely serious and skate for the community, fun, and fitness
it provides.
Trish
Alexander runs Skate Journeys Skate School in Bellevue WA and
is the event director for the Seattle-Redmond Skate & Walk
for MS. Trish can be reached at 206-276-9328 or trish@skatejourneys.com. |
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