I love taking great care of my body, I love playing and exercising outdoors, and I love exploring the places I visit away from home in a human-powered way. The past six weeks have been busy in exactly this way for me and Dan. To summarize, we:
- Skied three full days (in winter conditions!) at Mammoth Mountain over the Memorial Day holiday
- Biked 40 miles and walked a few more during a 4-day visit to lovely Victoria BC, Canada
- Hiked up and down steep Las Trampas Ridge in our back yard, and skated (me) and biked (Dan) the Iron Horse Trail during the work weeks
- Backpacked 30+ miles with 30+ pound packs on the Yosemite North Rim trail over the July 4th weekend
A few years back, I created the Get Rolling Off-Skates Fitness web pages after realizing that my active, outdoorsy lifestyle sets a good example for others. This section of my website offers a path to an overall level of fitness that benefits all physical activities, not just inline skating. To accommodate different starting levels, I documented a sample workout week for beginner, intermediate and advanced exercisers.
For skating in particular, fitness is necessary for those just beginning, especially middle-aged or older skaters, because it reduces the chance of injury while improving the chance of success. Flexibility and strength are important to achieving the most powerful inline skating stroke possible.
- Flexible joints give you increased stroke length, while a regular stretching routine can help prevent joint injuries and reduce muscle soreness.
- Strong legs allow you to sprint away from a pack or climb a long hill without using up all of your resources.
- A solid core means better agility and balance.
- Proper breathing and a quiet mind keep you alert and composed in dicey situations.
These aptitudes do not come from skate training alone: they result from specific and consistently-performed off-skate training activities. Are you ready for a fitness lifestyle? I’m here to help!
Great article. I try to hit the gym at least 5times a week when my schedule allows it. Working the same muscles groups every week with the same reps can get old quick. Its fun to throw in randomsets or more reps like your posts suggested. Thanks for posting!