Did you gain weight after the holidays? Are you searching for the perfect routine to get fit? Packing on the pounds often comes with adversities. It could be a health hazard on your end or a simple reminder to work out some.
In their weight loss journeys, some people resort to skateboarding to slim down. But can you lose weight by skateboarding?
As with all physical activities, we can certainly lose pounds while skating. But as to how effective it is, keep reading to learn more.
Table of Contents
Losing Weight From Skateboarding
Like various pieces of gym equipment, skateboard routines also have different intensities. Thus, one movement pattern can help you shed more pounds than another.
While losing weight on a skateboard is likely, why is it even possible? Consider the points below.
1. Skateboarding burns calories
You can lose about 400 skateboarding calories per hour. Given more intensive routines, the figure could spike up to 800. So, the harder you skate, the higher the reduction in your weight.
2. Skateboarding entails interval training.
You won’t be skating in parks nonstop with your skateboard. At some point, you will have to shift from ramps to bowls to rails to flat grounds.
Note that these areas yield different intensity levels. But they can still help lose weight. And with that, we can say we’re working on various areas of our fitness, similar to juggling several pieces of gym equipment.
3. Skateboards can be good cardio.
Cardio exercises are also a good way to lose weight. Does skateboarding count as cardio?
Between bicycles and skateboards, the former has the upper hand if we are to assess which one is better for cardio. But we can’t take the credit away from skateboarding because our bodies still pump blood when riding.
That said, our routines on a skateboard may not yet be enough to keep our heart rates at a consistent level compared with other cardio activities. Nonetheless, we can still burn at least 8 calories per minute riding on our decks.
Other Physical Benefits of Skateboarding
Does skateboarding count as exercise? Besides helping you burn fat, skateboarding also has more benefits. Here are a few of them.
1. It helps the skater build muscle.
Whether you want to build abs or strengthen other body parts, skateboarding will get your muscles to work. It doesn’t make your legs skinnier. In fact, you’ll work the quads and hamstrings quite a lot.
2. It improves body coordination.
Skateboarding is holistic in this aspect. This is because our senses and various body parts work cohesively to move the skateboard safely and smoothly.
3. You train your body’s pain tolerance.
A fall on a skateboard doesn’t only happen once. That means every slip off the deck and bump on solid surfaces will make you more formidable physically. Subsequently, you also get to train your mind to be resilient.
Why Skateboarding is a Good Workout
Is skateboarding good exercise? Generally, skateboarding is a good workout because it doesn’t only enhance our physical state. Besides making our bodies fit, riding a skateboard as part of our routine relaxes our minds and could help us gain new friends as we engage with more skaters.
Here are a few reasons that make this activity a good workout.
- It makes your entire body move.
- Skateboarding prepares you for other board sports.
- You get to train how to balance and move precisely.
- Skateboarding ignites the audacious spirit in you. You’ll want to learn tricks that seem tough if not impossible to pull off.
- It’s not as dangerous as some people think.
How Many Calories Do You Burn Skateboarding?
Let’s get into the numbers. We mentioned a possible 400-800 calories burned skateboarding for an hour. Are there exceptions? Yes.
The number of calories you burn while skateboarding may vary depending on your weight.
For example, if you weigh 125 lbs and ride your skateboard for an hour, you are likely to shrug off 300 calories. It’s a bit lower than the range we discussed, but it’s still a good amount, whether you want to burn belly fat or strengthen your legs.
On the other hand, skateboarders who weigh 185 pounds and ride their boards for an equal duration have 444 calorie burn per hour.
Note that your calorie loss may hasten or slow down based on your food intake. So, try to find a perfect diet to complement your skateboard workout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is skateboarding good cardio?
The best cardio workouts include jogging, jumping jacks, jumping ropes, burpees, and more.
Does skateboarding have the same intensity as these? Unfortunately, no. But that does not mean we can’t lose weight from roller skating or skateboarding can’t be a good cardio routine.
If we ride skateboards for cardio reasons, we should do it consistently to make our hearts pump blood steadily. That means we should skate at a level intense enough to keep our heart rates high. Then, skateboarding will be effective as a cardio workout.
How long should I skateboard to lose weight?
1 pound of body fat equals roughly 3,436 to 3,752 calories. Now, to give a rough estimate, we’ll use 3,500 calories as the middle ground. Suppose you burn 500 calories every day a week skateboarding, you can expect to shed one pound in seven days.
Hence, how long you skate to lose weight depends on your goal. If you have more pounds to shed, you’ll need to practice consistently.
How to start skateboarding to get fit?
Should you finally decide to incorporate skateboarding into your workout plans, here’s how to start it.
- Establish your goal. Take note of your stats before and after skateboarding. It’s not always about losing weight. Our target is to attain a body that’s strong and healthy.
- Practice. You don’t learn skateboarding overnight. Much worse, injuries are inevitable. Stay patient until you master each trick.
- Have someone help you. This way, you get valuable tips from experts.
- Wear protective equipment. It will help reduce injury risks.
- Rest. Don’t put too much stress and pressure on your muscles.
Conclusion
We may have different goals for riding a skateboard, but whether we’re skating for fun, de-stressing or losing weight, we perform the same routines.
So, can you lose weight by skateboarding? If you ever think of making skateboarding a workout, remember the only things you lose are fats and calories. The rest are gains in experience, mental toughness, tolerance, and, most significant of all, physical strength.
Remember to establish your purpose, practice, seek help, ride safely, and rest. By then, your skateboarding workout could be as effective as other exercises, only that it’s more fun.
Hi, I am Charles Harris. I opened this site to write as much as I can about my biggest passion – skateboarding!
I started as a clumsy yet passionate rookie 10 years ago to now a still passionate yet much better skateboarder! But I have to tell you, the whole journey has always been fun and rewarding, indeed not without hardship.