Is roller skating good exercises for your knees?

Roller skating is an extreme sport that requires endurance, balance, coordination and physical strength. The sport requires the active involvement of your core muscles and legs.Therefore, anyone who intends to practice roller skating must develop the required muscle strength and stamina before taking roller skating lessons. That said, roller skating complaining of knee pain is nothing new. So, is this sport bad for your knees?

This passage is going to talk about the followings of roller skating:

(1) Is roller skating good exercises for your knees?

(2) How to avoid harm on my knees?

(3) Beneficial exercises to strengthen your knees

(1) Is roller skating good exercises for your knees?

Is roller skating bad for my knees? Well, if your body does not have the required stamina and strength, roller skating may put stress on your knees. Having said that, roller skating itself is considered an amazing sport that is good for overall body strength with minimal impact on the knees.

You should consider some strength workouts or yoga to build muscle strength and endurance. If you come from an athletic background, it may not be difficult to build strength and adapt your body to the necessary stretches required for exercise. However, if you are new to the sport, core workouts and muscle training are recommended before planning a roller derby session.

(2) How to avoid harm on my knees?

Many roller-skating knee injuries can be avoided if the following safety tips are considered.

Learn the basics carefully. You should know how to pedal, stop and keep your balance before you step on the stride. Also, make sure you follow these techniques correctly and maintain proper form. When skating, improper form can put too much pressure on the knees.

Maintain proper form. Do not hit or bend. Ideally, you should maintain a straight posture with your head above your shoulders and your shoulders above your core. Relaxing forward can weaken your core and put additional stress on your knees. Always bend your torso when you need to. Learn to hold a squatting position for as long as possible.

Always wear safety pliers. Never inline skate without a helmet, elbow pads, wrist pads and knee pads. Make sure you wear knee pads every time you roller skate. Wearing protective equipment minimizes the possibility of serious musculoskeletal injuries. According to research, wearing wrist guards can reduce wrist injuries by 87%. Wearing elbow pads can reduce potential elbow injuries by 82 percent, while wearing knee pads can reduce potential knee injuries by 32 percent. Similarly, helmets can prevent head injuries.

Make it a habit to wear protective gear even before you put on your skates. They may not look trendy at first glance, but they are important to avoid fractures and prevent bruises.

Perform some warm-up exercises before your roller-skating training. These exercises will help you condition your muscles and core to withstand the stresses required by the sport. After roller skating, you can also perform warm-up exercises to relax and loosen up your muscles. You can also include some skating weight training in your workout sessions to strengthen the muscles in your knees and legs. Again, concentrate on the hamstrings, quadriceps and calf muscles to reduce the stress on your knees during exercise.

(3) Beneficial exercises to strengthen your knees

Rollerblading engages your leg and core muscles (including quads, glutes, adductors, adductors, calves, calves, abs and rear extensions). Therefore, it is important to exercise regularly to maintain muscle strength, build endurance and ensure stability. The following skating exercises can help you strengthen your knees and build the required endurance.

Stabs and reverse stabs - You can try regular lunges, side lunges or walking lunges. However, the reverse lunge is softer on your knees and helps build muscle strength without too much stress. Make sure you sit up straight without bending your torso.

Single Leg Hard Pull - Most exercises often ignore the back of the leg. Hard pulls can help with the challenge. Standing on one leg does add to the challenge. Initially, you can start without any burden. Once you feel comfortable, you can add the weight of the hand on the opposite side of the working leg. By combining reverse lunges and single-leg hard pulls on the same working leg, you can further increase the difficulty.

Skater Hop Hop - Remember, speed is not a priority in this exercise. Start slowly and proceed smoothly. Pierce the pin barrel as you move from side to side. Land firmly, pause for a moment on one foot, and then hop on one foot. You can add more single-leg jumps to make it more difficult.

Stepping Exercises - The goal is to work your stepping leg. Exhale as you stand up to keep your core muscles naturally engaged. You may be wobbly at the beginning. Once you are comfortable with the exercise, try adding some weight with both hands to take your lifting to the next level.