Inline Skates and Exercise Benefits
By Peter Kudlacz
 Inline skating is a fun way to get in shape and stay fit especially
on warm sunny days when it's a lot more enjoyable to exercise outdoors
than on a treadmill or exercise bike indoors at the gym. These days most
cities have nicely paved paths through parkland, beach and waterfront
areas to make your rollerblading experience more enjoyable. Unfortunately
depending on where you live, you may not be able to or want to rollerblade
all year round.
There are many benefits to be derived from inline skating. It's much
easier and safer on the knees and back than jogging since your legs aren't
taking as much pounding against a hard surface. You don't have to travel
as far as cycling to get maximum benefits. Along with a great cardiovascular
workout, blading provides you with a fantastic lower body workout by
strengthening and toning your thighs, gluteus, calves and hamstrings.
It's like doing thousands of lunges using your own body weight without
even realizing it or getting bored!
I also recommend that you combine blading with strength training exercises
with weights such as leg extensions, leg presses and calf raises to name
a few. This will ensure that your muscles and bones remain strong and
it helps to prevent any possible injuries from occurring.
 Before you begin inline skating for the day, you may want to do a little
bit of light stretching particularly focusing on your thighs and hamstrings.
Right now there is debate over whether or not to stretch before exercising.
I believe you should do what feels best for you. Also, the first few
minutes should be done at a slower pace as a warm up for your muscles.
I find that roller blading is extremely safe once you get proficient
at it. Rarely will you fall by yourself. If you do, it's usually a result
of your surroundings. No different than cycling or walking on a sidewalk.
To prevent injuries and scrapes, you may wish to purchase elbow, wrist
and knee pads plus a helmet.
What should you look for when buying a pair of inline skates? If you're
new to this sport, I suggest you either borrow a pair from a friend or
rent a pair just to try it out, get a feel. When you're ready to buy
a pair there are a few things to look for. If you're going to buy a really
cheap pair I'll guarantee you that you will not enjoy inline skating.
What I suggest that you buy a pair in the mid-price range.
What should you look for in a pair of inline skates? The obvious being
that the boot fits your feet properly in a pair of sports socks. If you
feel the boot rubbing against your ankles or your toes rubbing inside
the boot, try another pair because ill-fitted boots will result in blisters
and soar feet. Just like a badly fitting pair of running shoes.
I prefer laces for the boot with one plastic or velcro strap at the
top and soft boots with plastic heel and bottom moldings for extra support.
Soft boots with no plastic molding support usually give way to your ankle
over time. Wheels should be in the 76-78mm range. 80mm is too big a wheel
for most people. Look for bearings with ABEC 4-5. Most quality inline
skates come with ABEC 5 bearings nowadays anyway.
I've tried several different makes of inline skates over the years.
I find I like K2 the best and highly recommend them. I like their sleek
design, they fit my feet very well and have great support. K2s are also
very comfortable and light in weight. Ultra Wheels are also very good
and I hear that Salomon are quality blades too.
Inline skates are easy to maintain. The wheels need to be rotated every
once in a while to prevent uneven wearing out. So if you use them 3 times
a week, monthly is fine or take a look for how much wear there is on
the wheels. The bearings need to be lubricated too. I do this by removing
the wheel bearings assembly and wiping the surface of any dirt and then
spraying the entire wheel bearing assembly with lubricant. I don't remove
the bearings from the assembly casing any more since I find very little
dirt gets in there and it's a lot of work.
In this article I've discussed the cardiovascular and strength training
benefits associated with inline skating. What you should look for when
purchasing a pair of inline skates and their proper maintenance.
Peter Kudlacz is the owner of http://www.popularfitness.com where
you can find online fitness and golf programs, exercise instruction guides,
articles, resources and tips.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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