Skateboarding: A Rad Workout

Lately the popularity of skateboarding has soared as a means of both recreation and exercise. In fact, skateboarding is a great workout: you use almost all your muscle groups to maintain balance hence you burn lots of calories.
Unfortunately, skateboarding is often overlooked as an activity for teenagers but that’s too bad because it can be a very good way to get in shape, drop those few extra pounds, have a lot of fun and, why not, even develop a new hobby.

Building up stamina

In terms of cardio exercising, the pushing yourself around on a board, especially over flat terrain or, better still, up a hill takes a great effort and will build up your stamina and will make you burn calories, not doubt about that.
The benefit of added stamina is one you can reap without even venturing to do tricks and jumps.
This does not mean that doing tricks or jumps will not add anything to the workout; it certainly will. In fact, doing tricks on ramps requires quite a bit of speed and to attain and maintain that speed, a person must work very hard. Also, many tricks require the skater to squat then stand up or to jump while all of these movements help to add to the cardiovascular workout that skateboarding provides.
Doing tricks on a skateboard adds another element to overall health: it increases coordination and timing which, though not necessarily an aspect of fitness, is important for sports. An added benefit is that it increases balance, another very important part of sports.

Calories burned

In about an hour you will burn around 500 calories. Of course, if you add difficult tricks this figure is likely to increase significantly. Not bad for a workout that is above all fun!However, be extra careful when you’re doing tricks because they tend to be really hard on your ankles and joints.

Flexibility

The aspect of fitness that gets the greatest boost from skateboarding is flexibility. We have already discussed this: flexibility is an aspect of fitness that is often overlooked and it shouldn’t be so. Longer and leaner muscles always look better than buffed ones.
The ability to stretch and to move muscles in many directions and into many positions is important because it determines what exercises your body will allow you to do.

The fun part

An added benefit of skateboarding to better health is that it is fun and challenging. As you become better at skateboarding, you will learn more tricks, and want to learn even more tricks, and this will keep you skating and will keep you in shape. In other words, the more you skate, the more you will want to skate and the healthier you will be.
All in all, skateboarding is a fun, some would say addictive, way to burn calories, get in shape and stay in shape. It provides flexibility, increases coordination and builds cardiovascular stamina.
Also, you can use it as a way to move around the city, instead of walking, biking or using public transportation.
So guys get a board and have a great workout!