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To some, skateboarding may look like nothing more than a recreational activity used to pass the time. With the inclusion in the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games, however, it’s safe to say that skateboarding has established itself as an active sport, coming a long way from its roots as street alternative to surfing and long status as a fringe sport.
If you’ve ever ridden a skateboard, chances are you’re aware of just how active an activity it can be. When wiping the sweat off your brow after a long day of skating, you might find yourself wondering whether the sport offers any health benefits in addition to the adrenaline, excitement, and fun.
So, the question remains, is skateboarding a good form of exercise?
The short answer is yes! Skateboarding can be a great form of exercise and makes a fun addition to your workout regimen. Below, we’ve outlined some of the benefits and impacts skateboarding can provide, so if you’ve been looking for some motivation to keep riding, read on!
Skateboarding: More Than Just Wheels
Overall, skateboarding can be a rigorous workout. What makes this even better? You don’t even have to be a seasoned pro pulling tricks left and right to reap the benefits of the sport as a form of exercise. This means that you’re taking advantage of skateboarding’s physical benefits even when you’re simply cruising down the sidewalk.
It’s Great Cardio
Cardio is an important and necessary part of any exercise regimen. By definition, cardiovascular exercise is any type of exercise that raises your heart rate to improve oxygen flow throughout the body. The American Heart Association recommends that individuals achieve at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise spread throughout the week.
Skateboarding can be a moderate to intense cardiovascular exercise, depending on how hard you push yourself (note: this is a reminder not to overexert yourself!). When compared to other cardiovascular activities such as running, recreational skateboarding can be a lower impact option for your joints.
Some of the key benefits of regular cardiovascular exercise include:
- Helps the body regulate blood pressure
- Reduces the risk of heart disease or failure
- Helps increase HDL or “good” cholesterol
- Help maintains your joints’ range of motion
- Increases blood flow, decreasing the risk of stroke
It Can Provide Strength Training
Think skateboarding as an exercise is limited to cardio? Think again!
You might think of skating as lesser when compared to other strength exercises such as lifting, pushups, or pullups, but when it comes down to it, skateboarding requires a lot of repetitive movement. Tricks such as ollies, kickflips, and more require your muscles and joints to work in tandem for optimal performance. Committing to this regularly can contribute to bigger muscles and improved strength, including strengthened hip flexors and core.
Additional strength training off the board can also aid in your overall performance.
Increases Flexibility
Flexibility is an often overlooked and underappreciated aspect of physical fitness. While it might be something you usually associate with activities such as dancing, gymnastics, and yoga, flexibility allows your body to become more supple while building strength and stability. Increased flexibility can also lead to improved balance and a greater range of motion.
In addition, stretching properly before any type of physical activity can make a big difference in your skating experience and help prevent certain injuries, as tight muscles can lead to poor posture and balance.
Skateboarding helps to promote flexibility of the core and legs by requiring your body to stay limber while your ankles stay flexible. Tricks such as heelflips or kickflips can increase blood flow to the muscles, which warms them up and in turn helps to increase flexibility down the line.
Helps with Balance and Coordination
Photo by Kirby Crumpler from Pexels
Balance is probably one of the most obvious fitness components associated with skateboarding. You cannot skate without maintaining proper balance, and engaging your core is the key to finding the right balance. Your core muscles include your abdominals, obliques, and lower back. Skateboarding regularly can remind you to bring attention to your core.
Additionally, skateboarding can improve your coordination. Coordination is the ability to use different parts of the body together, smoothly, and efficiently. Skateboarding requires the use of pretty much every limb as well as your eyes. While you’re on your board, your small and large muscles are working together while your eyes process visual information to help you move around and perform tricks.
It’s a Full Body Workout
You don’t always need to hit the gym to achieve a full body workout!
You might assume that skateboarding really only works the legs, but it utilizes more muscle groups than you might realize. Your attention is likely more focused on your legs since you use them to push off, but you’re probably forgetting that you also use your arms for balance. Skateboarding also involves a lot of twisting, which works your abs and other core muscles, and you’re constantly moving and adjusting your legs, hands, knees, and head.
If you needed any more reasons to keep on skating, we hope the benefits described above are enough to keep you fired up. Grab your skateboard or longboard, hit the streets or the skate park, and get your exercise in!
