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Inline Skating Newsletter Article

Yoga On Skates? Try This Pre-Skate Warm-up

By by Liz Miller

Stretchy Liz in wide angle forward bend"I just want to get rolling!" That's probably the main reason most people skip a warm-up and stretching before they hit the trail. Yet we are constantly reminded such preparation helps to prevent injuries and reduce muscle soreness in all sports.

The following 10-minute warm-up is suitable for any skating goal, from a simple fitness roll to a full marathon. To optimize both your body and mind for the work ahead—and to add a little fun—this routine incorporates a few rolling variations of Yoga poses. For convenience, you can be fully geared and ready to roll. You can do these activities on a parking lot or at the beginning of your intended route.

Rolling warm-up

  1. Start with a series of swizzles to bring up your body heat and stimulate blood flow in your hips. (Sorry, I can’t think of a Yoga move anything like swizzles!)
  2. Reach down and touch your toes ten times to stimulate the muscles in your low back and legs. Forward bends of all kinds are prevalent in Yoga.
  3. Perform five rolling squats, holding the down position for 5 seconds. Add upraised arms with palms facing in and you have the Yoga Chair pose, adding a balance aspect.
  4. Coast along in deep forward lunges with the back skate rolling on just its toe wheel. Add upraised arms as above to achieve a rolling Warrior 2. Alternate right with left until you have completed five lunges on each side.
  5. Perform a series of pumping alternating swizzles (right-left, right-left or try right-right, left-left).
Toe touch warm-ups

Stationary stretches

Repeat the above series until you are slightly breathless, then find a place to quickly move through the following sequence once. Grass, a throw rug or another non-rolling surface would be optimal, but these moves are possible on pavement, too. In fact, they can all be done rolling at a moderate speed if you want to work on balance. Consider repeating this series after your skating session as a post-skate cool down.

Hold for 30 seconds each as you breathe deeply and deliberately:
Hold these upper body poses for 5-10 seconds each:

OK, now you are properly tuned up to get rolling!

For those interested in more in-depth off-skates yoga stretches to improve balance, strength and flexibility, please see the related article, Yoga for Inline Skaters.