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Everywhere you look, it seems that more and more people are cruising around on inline
skates. You see college students using skating as an inexpensive method of transportation,
thirty-somethings who want to remain active without overspending on equipment,
teenagers playing roller hockey, and older adults who just want to enjoy this
new sport.
In less than 10 years, inline skating has grown from virtual obscurity to one of the
top-20 participation sports in the U.S. With basic information about technique and
equipment, inline skating is almost as simple as walking. It’s a lifestyle fitness
activity for anyone, from professional athletes to amateurs and from kids to
grandparents.
Some people skate—train for heavy competition; some use inline skating as cross-training
for skiing, cycling, and water sports; others skate because the lateral leg motion
complements traditional fore-aft movements such as running. Most people, however,
skate for one simple reason: it’s fun. After the minimal investment for skates and
protective gear, it’s free. You can skate just about anywhere you can find smooth,
dry pavement.
Inline skating’s fluid, graceful movements provide a significant muscular workout
and cardiovascular challenge that won’t leave you sore. Whether your goals include
weight loss, athletic training, or simply cruising, inline skating is easy to learn
and provides a non-impact cardiovascular workout.
Ready to skate? Here are some basic tips for technique:
Take a Stand
To adopt a secure, comfortable stance (your “ready position”), stand upright with
both feet facing forward. Your feet should be hips’ width apart. Knees and ankles
should be slightly flexed. Arms and hands should be in front of your
body. You’re
more likely to fall if they move behind your waist. For optimum control, avoid
unnecessary upper-body movements. Keeping arms and hands in front lets you center
your balance on the whole foot, with emphasis toward the balls instead of the
heels. Never lean forward—adjusting arms and hands in front and standing upright
will help you move to the balls of your feet.
Find Your Stride
To stride efficiently, use a “support” foot/leg for balancing and gliding, and
an “action” foot/leg for stroking (or pushing off). The action leg pushes
powerfully in a sideways motion as you balance and glide on the support side. The
action leg then comes back under the hips to become the support leg. To avoid
taking short, choppy steps, start by angling both feet outward (like duck feet) to
feel pressure on the insides of the arches and on the balls of the feet. Remember
to keep hands and arms in front of your body. More basic striding tips:
- Flex the front support leg at the knee and ankle to balance and glide (think
“chest over knee over ankle”).
- Fully extend the action leg for maximum push-off power.
- Balance hips over your support foot; aim hips in the desired direction of travel.
- Look ahead; keep head and chin up.
- Getting comfortable? Add opposing arm movement. Arm swings should complement
forward movement by driving force fore and aft, not side-to-side.
- Stride with full range of motion, constantly thinking about balancing with
hips closer to the ground during glide and pushing phases.
- Bring your action leg back in after each push-off to regroup under your
hips; this leg then becomes the support leg.
Hit the Brakes
The beginner stop uses the standard “fixed” heel brake. You apply it by gently raising
the toe of the skate with the brake attachment (usually the right skate). Some tips:
- Begin in ready position.
- Always keep an upright posture.
- Slowly move the braking foot (or action leg) forward, shifting your weight to
your support foot (non-brake leg) for balance.
- Slowly lift the toe of the braking foot, while continuing to balance your
weight on the support foot.
- Gradually apply more pressure to the braking foot until you stop completely.
Do this by gently lowering your center of gravity (hips) over the support.
- Remember that it takes several feet to come to a complete stop. Practice
braking, and avoid hills until you’re comfortable stopping in a relatively
short distance.
Learn to Turn
Here are two methods of turning:
- A-frame turn: Start with a wide stance. Slowly place the weight on the outside
skate (the skate on the outside of the desired turn) on its inside edge. As you
shift weight to the outside leg, your body will begin to turn in the direction the
outside skate is facing. (Caution: This turn is not effective at high speeds.
It’s a basic move for developing balance and coordination.)
- Parallel turn: This turn uses both skates simultaneously to initiate the turn.
Coasting forward with feet parallel, stagger the inside foot toward the direction
of the new turn. Slowly edge both skates in the same direction, while keeping ankles
and knees flexed. This turn is useful for higher-speed skating and works well on
flats and downhills at safe speeds.
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