Is Skateboarding A Good Workout? 6 Amazing Benefits

Is skateboarding a good workout? The answer is yes: the sport offers a rigorous full-body workout. You can develop core muscles, build cardio strength, enhance flexibility, and shed some pounds if skating regularly.

Skating is an affordable way to get a rush of adrenaline for those seeking adventure. It’s also an amusing and relaxing addition to your workout regimen, and once you get your hands on the basics, the sport grows on you and becomes a life-long pastime.

Reason Why Skateboarding Is Good Exercise

Cardiovascular Exercise

Skateboarding helps you build your cardiovascular stamina. Performing tricks on a ramp requires a large amount of work from the body to gain and maintain a certain speed.

Ride Down The Ramp

In addition, many tricks encompass crouching, the transition from crouching to a standing posture, and jumping. All of these actions help accelerate your cardiovascular system.

See also: Can Skateboarding Help You Lose Weight – Useful Tips For You

Works Out The Legs

Hamstrings and lower legs are two key muscle groups used in skateboarding.

• Hamstrings are responsible for flexing your knee so that the body can get into a crouching position. This position helps lower the center of gravity, which is fundamental to good skating.
• Lower legs also develop through pushing and performing tricks. Calves, also known as gastrocnemius muscles, aid the quadriceps extending the knees.

Calves also help transfer the bodyweight towards the front, moving the board forwards. On the other hand, the muscles in your shins allow you to lean your heels down, thus, moving the board in the opposite direction.

Skateboarding Engages Leg Muscles

Everyone has a dominant leg that they are comfortable doing all the activities. Yet, when it comes to skateboarding, it is imperative to put both legs into equal use.

If you refuse to learn to use both legs, your leg muscles will develop differently over time, resulting in a muscular leg and a weaker one.

Can tall people skate? Many people wonder whether their height can affect their ability to play the sport. Tall skateboarders need to make some adjustments, such as equipping the right protective gear and choosing a suitable board size to be safe on the board.

Strengthens The Arm Muscles

Skateboarding can provide a nice solution for those struggling to lose arm fat and who want to boost arm strength. Simply stand on the board, and try to propel it with your hands. Nevertheless, if you’re a beginner, it is advisable to focus on the use of feet first.

Arms Are Also Engaged While Skating

Builds Core Muscles

Every skater knows that skating is a vigorous sport. The rider should engage their entire body to balance and propel the body forwards. This activity strengthens many muscular groups, including the hip, spine, quadriceps, gluteus maximus, hamstrings, lower legs, etc.

Improves Flexibility

Your body will become more flexible if you stick with the sport for a while. Different tricks and stunts, such as flip tricks and 360 flips, force your body to flex and stretch and help joints become more agile.

Skating Enhances Your Flexibility

Also, well-stretched muscles benefit from better blood flow, contributing to your overall well-being in the long term.

The more tense and inflexible the muscles are, the more challenging it is for you to skate and have a higher chance of falling. Through errors and trials, your brain and body know how to act accordingly on the board to avoid accidents, and your body will be more flexible for sure.

Not to mention, most skaters warm up with dynamic stretching before hopping on the board. This habit adds more flexibility to the cold and stiff muscles and sets them up for the movements.

Aids Weight Loss

Like any other physical activity, skateboarding assists in burning fat and calories. Although the calories do not vanish as fast as running, skating can spice up your workout routine.

Cruising around with a skateboard can help get rid of 8-12 calories per minute. Depending on how aggressive your skating style is, an hour of skating can burn up to 500 calories.

What Parts Of The Body Does Skateboarding Exercise?

Core Muscles

The core muscles of the skater are in charge of the coordination between the upper and lower body. They serve as a pivot point around which other muscles and body parts move during turning, pushing, and balancing.

Skateboarding posture

Correcting skating posture will send the whole body in a lunge position. In other words, skateboarding is also an exercise that does wonders for the lower back and abdominal muscles.

Abs

Although skating is more of a lower back workout, it can help develop your abs. It simultaneously strengthens the abs and back muscles by forcing them to work with others to align the spine. Spinal alignment is crucial for balance on the board.

Skateboarding aids in abs workout

Glutes, Hamstrings, And Calves

As mentioned, getting your body into a squatting position while skating is like doing gym lunges. This position makes the glutes, hamstrings, and calves of whichever leg is planted on the board work hard.

Legs work hard when skateboarding

Arms And Shoulders

Pushing the board around also engages the arms and shoulders. These muscles provide direction and generate a glide of movement. They do not work as hard as other parts, yet you can enjoy healthy arms and shoulders just as a runner with the right skating posture.

Arms and shoulders provide directions

How Many Calories Does Skateboarding Burn?

Is skateboarding a good exercise? The answer is yes. Although skateboarding is less effective in burning calories than cycling or running, it is a nice alternative to keeping fit without getting bored and losing motivation.

The number of calories burnt greatly depends on the intensity and frequency you skate, body weight, and metabolism. For example, if you simply push the board around, you’ll shed fewer calories than doing elaborate tricks or going up and down a mini ramp.

How Many Calories Does Skating Burn?

According to Harvard Health Publishing, skateboarding for 30 minutes can burn 150 calories for people weighing 125 pounds, 180 calories for those 155 pounds, and up to 210 calories for those 185 pounds.

Riding on an electric skateboard also adds to weight loss. Yet, skaters only lose around 50 to 100 calories per hour since the muscles do not work as hard as a standard board.

If losing weight is your main goal when taking up skateboarding, be mindful of your diet. A high intake of fast food can ruin all the efforts you’ve put into skating.

Is It Budget-Friendly?

One of the best parts of skateboarding is that it’s affordable, which explains its incredible popularity among youngsters.

You can get an entry-level skateboard for under $50. This price point is ideal for those who want to test the water as they’re not sure how committed they are to the sport. A skateboard for kids costs around $20 to $45, whereas a skateboard for adults can be anywhere from $30 to $300.

Skating Is An Inexpensive Sport

Buying a complete setup is always cheaper than building a skateboard yourself. Setting up a skateboard carries certain risks for beginners: they might not know how to choose quality components and wind up with a low-quality yet costly board.

Protective gear, such as helmets, elbow pads, knee pads, and wrist guards, entails hidden costs yet is crucial for starters. Yet, compared to other sports like mountain climbing or cycling, skateboarding is still a cheaper option.

Conclusion

Is skateboarding a good workout? We hope we’ve provided you with the answer to the question. The sport is fun, fitness-promoting, economical, and open up for people of all ages.

Skateboarding is a good option, whether you want to build strength, lose weight, or boost heart health. Choose for the right board and equip protective gear to enjoy several benefits of skateboarding.