Absolutely yes, skateboarding is good exercise. According to sports experts, skateboarding provides a complete body workout. In addition to working the cardiovascular system, it also strengthens the muscles such as the hamstrings, glutes, quadriceps, and even abs, all involved in this exercise. In this article, I will be discussing the question is skateboarding a good exercise. And How many calories a skater burns while skating.
There are numerous other advantages of skateboarding, and here I am going to guide you about the most recognized ones I experienced after spending a long time with this sport. But let me first answer another most-asked question about skateboarding.
How Many Calories Does Skateboarding Burn?
Pushing a board around on the flat ground can exert an impressive amount of energy, even if you don’t attempt elaborate tricks. This simple method burns between 8 and 12 calories per minute while accelerating your cardiovascular system.
So, it’s evident that skateboarding for an hour can burn about 450-650 calories on average. But the actual figure depends on many factors like how long you are pushing on your board, your weight, and your metabolism.
How to Calculate the Number of Calories Burned?
You can use an online calorie burn Calculator to figure out or estimate the calories you might burn while skateboarding.
You can also calculate your calories burned by this simple calculation of MET, the Metabolic Equivalent of the Task of Skateboarding.
The MET value of Skateboarding = 5.6
First, multiply the MET value by the individual’s body weight in kilograms and then multiply by 0.0175. After that, multiply the total skateboarding duration. (in minutes)
Suppose an individual weighs = 170 lbs.
MET value of Skateboarding = 5.6
Total time of skateboarding = 35 minutes
The calorie calculation will be as follows:
(170/2.20462) * 5.6 * 0.0175 * 35 = 264
The above calculations show that 35 minutes of Skateboarding burn 264 kcal. I can also make it more transparent and easier for you to understand my personal daily life experience.
My Personal Data
I burned about 180 calories in just 20 minutes. I think the calculators available to count calories burned are a bit conservative. I put in my weight & 55 minutes, and it was super low (300 calories) relative to what I burn in an hour (500 kcal according to my Apple watch).
Skateboarding also builds cardio and core strength, improves flexibility, and fully develops balance and coordination skills. Once you learn the basic skills and safety, skateboarding could be a lifelong sport for you.
Skateboarding a Good Exercise: Reasons
The following are the reasons why skateboarding is a good exercise:
- Cardiovascular exercise
- Helps in Legs Workout
- Skateboarding strengthens the arm muscles
- It helps to build core muscles
- Core Muscles and Core Strength
- Improves flexibility
- Skateboarding helps in weight loss
- Cardiovascular Exercise
Skateboarding also involves the workout of your cardiovascular muscles. If you try to skate through a hilly area, you’ll need extra energy to push your body forward, which helps keep your heart healthy.
- Helps In Legs Workout
If you’ve ever used a skateboard or even seen someone in your neighborhood, you’ll know that they keep kicking and pushing the ground using their legs. This repetitive motion Strengthens the leg muscles.
To benefit from this workout, you must keep switching legs instead of using only one continuously.
- Skateboarding Strengthens The Arm Muscles
Depending on the tracks, if you have enough expertise, you can stand on the board and still push it using your arms. This movement of the components could help you to strengthen your arm muscles and can also help to lose arm fat. However, beginners should avoid this practice until they get enough expertise. They must Concentrate on their feet first.
- It Helps To Build Core Muscles
Skateboarding also helps to strengthen the core muscles such as the quads, abs, glutes, and lower back. A strong core is required to push the board while standing on it.
However, the core muscles don’t get that strength overnight. And if you cannot push the board using your core at the start, you must take it slow.
- Core Muscles and Core Strength
As an alternative to boring gym exercises, skateboarding is excellent for strengthening your core muscles. Skateboarding requires a solid core to maintain balance and stabilize your body.
Balance is also another critical factor of skateboarding. It helps you go properly through your track’s ups and downs.
Skateboarding also helps shape your abs, as abs are a part of your core.
Here are also some other core muscles that benefit equally from skateboarding.
- Quadriceps
The quadriceps are the muscles that help you extend your knee and your hip joints. These are also responsible for the shape of your thighs.
To perform tricks such as ollies, you need to bend your hips and extend your knees. Different movements you perform while skateboarding strengthen your quadriceps.
- Gluteus Maximus
Another strongest muscle in our body is Gluteus Maximus. It is present in the buttocks. This muscle is responsible for the movement of your hips and thighs. That helps you to keep balance on the skateboard.
When you ollie, you go from a lower to a higher position. When you extend, your gluteus maximus gets activated.
- Improves Flexibility
A Flexible person can move his body in any direction. Skateboarding could increase flexibility in your muscles. As we know, a skateboarder leans in different directions moving his various body parts. So, this activity improves his muscle strength and increases flexibility. Changing directions and speeds requires increased flexibility.
- Skateboarding Helps In Weight Loss
According to Experts, as we also mentioned above, a person can lose 8-12 calories every minute through skateboarding. Accordingly, an hour could result in an average of 500 calories burned. Hence, Skateboarding also helps in weight loss.
Which Muscles Do You Use While Skateboarding?
The most prominent muscles used while boarding are your core and the upper and lower leg muscles. I’m not going into details. Wikipedia has all the answers, but it’s essential to provide you with a short list of muscles used most frequently while skateboarding:
- Core muscles.
- Hamstring muscles.
- Gluteus Maximus.
- Upper and lower legs.
“However, the core is the most critical part.”
Does Skateboarding Help to Lose Belly Fat?
Skateboarding involves an intense aerobic activity that burns a prominent number of calories. The number depends upon how long you go skateboarding every day. However, there may not be any extraordinary results. Riding a skateboard on a straight path is less complicated than riding on an inclined surface or performing different stunts. The number of calories other skateboarders burn may vary depending on their Skateboard wheel and bearings.
It would be best to push more, often with rugged wheels and rigid bearings. At the same time, you need less energy to go with soft wheels and smooth paths. Compared to a classic freestyle board, longboarding requires less exercise because the wheels on longboards are large and soft, while those on skateboards are smaller and harder.
Is There Any Weight Limit For Skateboarding?
There is no standard weight limit for skateboarding, but it depends upon the quality of your Skateboard to bear the weight. An average skateboard can carry around 250 lbs, but it may also get broken if you don’t land properly. But don’t worry as there are skateboards for heavy riders available on the market.
Although there is no such standard, you can get an idea as the manufacturers mention the durability of their products on the packaging, or you can ask them while purchasing one for you.
A typical regular skateboard can carry approximately 272.3 pounds. Longboards can handle up to 300 pounds of weight. On the other hand, Penny boards are limited to 192 pounds. So, you should choose a longboard that is highly durable if you are heavier to avoid any possible difficulties.
Skateboarding vs. Other Sports
Although skateboarding is a good exercise but not a complete cardio sport, many people find it hard to go to the gym regularly. So, they can do some skateboarding, and the fun part will help them achieve the results without boring them.
It might be a little harder to learn at the start but believe me. The rewards are worth it.
What Are the Risks?
Where there are joys, there are also some risks and injuries. In the case of skateboarding, you may also face some struggles and physical injuries.
So, let’s overlook all the possible skateboarding injuries and Safety Tips.
Common Skateboarding Injuries
Following are the types of injuries usually Skaters or boarders face:
- Head and face injuries
- Hand, legs, wrist, and shoulder injuries
- Knee injuries
Skateboarding Injury Causes
- Inferior balance techniques.
- Loose reactions.
- Poor coordination.
- Overestimation of skills.
- Not a proper judgment of hurdles.
Skateboarding Safety Tips to Avoid Injuries
Boarders should always wear their proper protective gear to avoid the risks of injuries. Right skateboarding gear includes:
- Closed and slip-resistant shoes.
- A helmet to rescue head
- Knee pads and elbow pads.
- Learn how to stop immediately
- Foot-braking is one of the first “techniques” to learn while boarding.
- Learn to foot-brake at a slower speed and gradually improve by trying a little bit faster.
Final Thoughts
The answer to the question Is skateboarding a good exercise is clear now. After going through the details of skateboarding and its physical effects on our body and muscles, it is clear that skateboarding is good exercise and helps burn many calories. Skateboarding allows us to work on our core muscles. We must take part in skateboarding to stay healthy. There are also some precautions; one must read them carefully and prepare accordingly to avoid any dire circumstances.