| who are looking to improve their fitness, tone | | | | The positions adopted during skating also help |
| their bodies, or simply lose weight, would do well | | | | strengthen and build on muscles in the legs, back |
| to consider taking up skating. Whether using roller | | | | and abdomen. This is not just an advantage to |
| skates, inline skates or ice skates, skating has | | | | those wishing to build up their body mass but also |
| been found by various clinical studies to offer | | | | serves as an aid to slimmers by helping them to |
| major health benefits. | | | | reduce fat whilst avoiding losing valuable muscle |
| For a start, skating offers similar aerobic benefits | | | | tissue. |
| to running. The main advantage that skating has | | | | Finally, skating is also of course the perfect way |
| over running however is that because skating is a | | | | to improve one’s balance. |
| low impact activity it does not share | | | | Skating has the advantage over many other |
| running’s risk of incurring long-term | | | | intense physical activities of being fun to |
| damage to joints. | | | | participate in. This fun element helps the skater |
| Secondly, because skating is usually carried out at | | | | get through what would otherwise be a gruelling |
| a fairly constant pace, which can be gradually | | | | exercise session. Coupled with the fact that |
| increased by the skater as he or she improves in | | | | skating has the potential to be a much more |
| skating proficiency, it can have a significant | | | | socially interactive activity than other sports such |
| beneficial effect on both fitness and endurance | | | | as running or swimming, this enjoyable aspect to |
| levels. For the same reasons, skating makes for a | | | | skating also makes it a highly effective |
| highly effective calorie burner, with an average of | | | | therapeutic method of letting off |
| approximately 285 calories burnt every half an | | | | steam’. |
| hour. | | | | |