October is right around the corner. Other than Halloween, rollerbladers are in for a terrific month. Did you know that October is dedicated to roller skating? You didn’t? Get out those roller blades because you’re in for a fun ride. Here’s how to celebrate.
First off, what is it?
National Roller Skating Month is an annual holiday observed in October. When did National Roller Skating Month become a holiday of its own? Not much is known about the origin of National Roller Skating Month except that it just became a thing in 1983.
Roller skating goes all the way back to 1863 when John Joseph Merlin designed the first-ever roller skates. Once skating became a craze in the 1970s everyone did it. That’s right, everyone. Servers in restaurants rollerbladed meals to their customers.
Roller Skate. Roller Skate. Roller Skate!
October is the time to roller skate. Get out those roller skates from the closet and go out on an adventure. It is time to recognize why you enjoy roller skating so much.
Why is Roller Skating Fun?
Roller Skating is the best exercise that anybody can get. Learning how is a little hard but once you get up on those wheels you can take yourself on many adventures. It is actually better than running. Of course, everyone has their opinions.
Read More: The Complete Guide to Help You Get Familiar With Roller Skates
Skating is also a terrific workout. For about an hour each day, you can burn up to a total of 600 calories! Encourage your kids to go out and rollerblade to stay in shape. It’s also a great way for them to socialize.
Benefits from Roller Skating
- Roller skating increases your heartbeat to 140-160 beats per minute. This activity strengthens the heart improving blood circulation.
- It provides a complete aerobic workout involving all of the body’s muscles, especially the heart.
- Roller skating is similar to jogging in terms of health benefits and caloric consumption, reduction of body fat, and leg strength development.
Try Some Tricks
Never try and tricks that are dangerous. In Roller Skating, there are tons of tricks to learn. That’s right, tons. Here are a few tricks that you can do
- Skating Backwards: This trick may take a bit to get the hang of, but eventually every skater will skate backward. To start, make sure that your surroundings are safe, position your feet like a V with your toes pointed inwards, and then slowly lift one foot and push yourself backward. Alternate your steps while doing so. Always look over your shoulder to keep a lookout of your surroundings.
- Skating with only One Foot: Once you have the confidence, pick up one foot off the ground when roller skating. First, it is very important to get your balance. Once you have your balance, take off on the sturdy ground, and pick up one foot. Test yourself and see how long you can hold it above the ground.
- Do the Moonwalk: Have you ever thought about imitating the famous moonwalk by Michael Jackson. You can – on skates. Don’t worry, it is not as hard as it looks with practice. Put one skate on the ground and point the other to hold you down in place. Then push off with your right toe and allow yourself to glide backward. Keep alternating sides.
Take Roller Skating Lessons
No matter what level a person is at, even if they are an expert, getting a lesson never hurts. Sign up with an instructor. They will show you how to get started, how to hold yourself up, the correct way to balance and stand, along with some tricks.
Read More: Is Roller Skating A Sport?
Go to a Roller Skating Rink
According to The Roller Skating Association International, they have encouraged families to go out to their local skating rinks to roller skate. It doesn’t hurt to go out and skate with friends at the rink.
Where Can I go?
There are many places to go roller skating. Here is where you can go.
- Roller Skate Around the Lake
Having a lake in your town is the best. Anybody can get exercise walking, running, or even roller-skating. Make it a goal throughout the month of October to skate around the lake at least three times a week. Challenge yourself.
- Bicycle Pathways
While bicycle pathways are meant for people to go for a bike ride, it doesn’t hurt to try out rollerblading. Make sure that you have everything that you need for the adventure and wear a helmet. Running into trees is not fun. Watch out for rocks and roots sticking out of the ground.
- Around the Neighborhood
Sometimes you don’t even have to leave our neighborhood to go on an adventure. In fact, this is the best way to get used to roller skating. Be respectful of your neighbors. Just because it is National Roller Skating Month for you does not mean that everyone else celebrates it. Be careful because some cities restrict skates. Be aware of the traffic anywhere you go.
The Best Exercise There is
You’d better believe that roller skating is the best exercise there is. It is the equivalent of going out to the gym for thirty minutes a day. Going to the gym is boring for some. Instead of going to the gym for the entire month of October put on those roller skates and skate all around the town.
Roller Skating is one of the most effective cardiovascular activities you can do in terms of burning the most calories per unit of time. A 155-lb. person will burn about 260 calories in 30 minutes time of rollerblading. If you’re a larger person, you’ll burn more calories, and if you’re smaller, you’ll burn less.
Go Out to the Roller Derby
Roller derby is an excellent way to celebrate. Watch a roller derby match. Roller derby has become popular over the years whether you are watching or you are a player. Each team in roller derby tries to make a score from the opposing players. It is fun to attend.
Go on an Adventure
Strap up those roller skates and head out on an adventure in your neighborhood. Or research areas in which you are allowed to roller skate and head out on an adventure.
Learn Fun Facts
You learn something new every day. Look up every single fact there is about roller skating and tell your friends.
Here are some facts:
- Using your lower back and abdominal muscles while roller skating helps improve balance, agility, and coordination.
- It is an endurance building sport
- Roller Skating incorporates all the body’s muscles. Even the heart!
Roller Skate with Friends
The best part about roller skating is that you don’t have to do it alone. Get a group of friends together and go on an adventure around the neighborhood. Look out for your friends because not everyone is up to speed when it comes to roller skating.
Think of a Fun Game
Other than roller skating around in circles for hours, there are some fun games to play. Gather your friends and family together for a few challenges. If you’re having trouble thinking up a game, here are a few ideas.
- Freeze Skate: Ever play freeze dance? Instead of dancing, you’re skating. Every time the music stops, you stop. Anybody who keeps on skating is out, goes to the sidelines. Play fairly and assign two people to watch closely if anyone keeps skating.
- Musical Circles: Draw large circles, number the boxes 1-12, and have music. Stop the music at random spots. When the music stops, players skate into the circle nearest to them. Roll a set of giant, fuzzy dice in the middle of the roller rink floor. The people in the circle who match the number are out. Throughout the game, players have to do a variety of tricks
- Pizza Box Relay Race: The object of this game is to play with empty pizza boxes or empty cardboard boxes. Divide into two teams. Select a skating lane for each team. Use cones to divide the lanes and tape to mark as the start and finish line. The first skater on each team should be given a stack of five pizza boxes. After giving the signal, skaters race around the rink while carrying the boxes. Anyone who drops a box has to go back to the start. The first to have all the pizza boxes to the finish line is the winner.
Take Tons of Selfies
The point of National Roller Skating Month is to take tons of pictures. Take a selfie. Use the hashtag #RollerSkatingMonth when uploading pictures to social media.
Stay Safe
Be sure that you are paying attention to what is in front of you when you are taking a selfie. Wear the correct gear at all times. Showing people that you roller skating safely makes others want to go out and give it a try. The point of this month is to have fun. There are so many tricks and turns in roller skating.
