Skating can serve as an excellent method to improve your fitness and maintain a healthy body. Both recent research and personal testimonies indicate that skateboarding can greatly benefit both physical and mental well-being. Curious about whether skateboarding is a beneficial exercise? This piece has the information you need. Join us as we delve into the underrated advantages of skateboarding and learn how this vibrant sport can enhance your potential.
Is Skateboarding a Beneficial Exercise?
Besides being a thrilling and enjoyable pastime, skateboarding is an excellent exercise. It blends cardiovascular exercise, muscle development, and balance enhancement in a singular form. If you’re searching for a substitute to traditional workouts like jogging or lifting weights, skateboarding is a worthy option.
Although skateboarding provides a significant workout, not all skateboarding styles are equally efficient for fitness. To optimize physical advantages, engage in activities that demand more energetic movements, such as performing tricks at a skatepark or navigating bowls. These styles of skateboarding require increased effort and utilize a broader range of muscles.
Is Skateboarding Superior to Running?
When evaluating skateboarding against running for exercise, it’s essential to consider your goals and personal preferences. Both activities offer unique benefits that enhance your overall fitness, though they differ in calorie-burning efficiency and muscle development.
1. Caloric Expenditure:
Running is renowned for its capacity to burn calories effectively. As a steady form of cardiovascular exercise, it keeps your heart rate elevated for prolonged periods. In contrast, skateboarding entails fluctuating intensities and does not offer the same sustained workout. Consequently, skateboarding burns approximately half the calories of running over the same timespan.
2. Muscle Development:
Skateboarding can certainly facilitate muscle growth, especially in the lower body and core. It activates multiple muscle groups, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and abdominal muscles, and also bolsters muscle endurance. Nonetheless, skateboarding might not be as efficient as traditional weightlifting for increasing muscle mass.
How Many Calories Does Skateboarding Consume?
If you’re pondering the number of calories you can expend while skateboarding, let’s examine the data.
Caloric burn from skateboarding varies based on factors like body weight, activity intensity, and duration. Typically, skateboarding can expel between 250-500 calories per hour.
High-intensity skateboarding, such as performing complex tricks or utilizing a skatepark, can result in a greater caloric burn.
To grasp the calorie consumption of skateboarding better, comparing it with other forms of activity is useful. For example, a person weighing 155 pounds can burn approximately the following calorie amounts per hour:
- Jogging at a 10-minute mile pace: 596 calories
- Biking at a moderate speed: 446 calories
- Weight training: 223 calories
As illustrated, skateboarding’s calorie consumption is comparable to that of other popular exercises. Although it might not expend as many calories as vigorous cardio exercises like running or cycling, skateboarding remains an excellent means of staying active and burning energy.
What Are the Advantages of Skateboarding as Exercise?
Skateboarding brings numerous physical and mental health advantages as a form of exercise:
- Cardiovascular Wellness: The sustained motion and effort involved in skateboarding enhance cardiovascular condition.
- Balance and Coordination: Skateboarding sharpens balance and coordination abilities as riders maneuver varied surfaces, boosting overall motor skills.
- Strength Development: Pushing off, executing tricks, and maintaining equilibrium engage multiple muscle groups, fostering strength and toning across the lower body, core, and even upper body.
- Flexibility: The varied movements in skateboarding enhance flexibility, especially around the ankles, as skaters adapt to diverse terrains and maneuvers.
- Mental Well-Being: The imagination and concentration required for skateboarding offer mental engagement, aiding in stress alleviation and improved mood.
- Social Engagement: Skateboarding frequently includes a communal culture, nurturing social bonds and a sense of community.
- Adaptability: Continually adjusting to new environments and mastering new tricks promote adaptability and a growth-oriented mindset.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is skateboarding a good way to Build muscle?
Skateboarding activates several muscle groups simultaneously, such as the legs, core, and upper body, resulting in increased overall strength and muscular endurance.
Does skating workout your legs?
Skateboarding necessitates movement in various directions, enhancing hip mobility and strength. The quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, and hips all collaborate during skating, delivering a comprehensive leg workout.
Is skateboarding harder for girls?
The difficulty of skateboarding is not influenced by gender. However, being lighter might lower the likelihood of damaging the board when incorrectly landing tricks. Nevertheless, mastering how to ride anything can be challenging for everyone.