Has learning to skate always been a challenge for you? Do you want to start skating but don’t know where to begin?
Don’t worry! In this article we will give you all the keys so that you know what you need to learn to skate, we will solve all your doubts so that you can enjoy skating in the shortest time possible.
Is there a minimum and maximum age to start skating?
This is a very common question asked both by parents who want to know when their children can start skating and adults who start skating for the first time.
In the case of boys and girls, the usual minimum age at which it is recommended to start skating is 4 years old. Although there are children who at the age of 3 may already have a certain ability to start skating, our experience shows that at the age of 4, children are better prepared.
As for adults, there is really no maximum age to start skating. It is very common that there is a certain fear to start skating after the age of 40 or 50. But it is all a matter of will and desire. As Toni Pla, director of the Official Inline Skating School of Barcelona, told us, they have had students of 70 years and older starting to skate for the first time in their lives with very good results. Obviously, from a certain age, it is necessary to take extreme safety measures, using good protections and practicing under the supervision of a professional. But really, you can start skating from any age over 4 years old.
Is it dangerous to skate?
No!!! Obviously when skating, whether your level is high or just starting out, there is a certain risk of injury caused mainly by falls. However, if skating protection such as helmets, knee pads, elbow pads and gloves are worn, the risk of injury is very low.
Also, and no less important, one must always be aware of one’s skating level. It is not the same to skate in a Lisa square and alone, as it is to skate down a slope in the middle of traffic.
In short, if you wear protective gear and follow minimum safety guidelines, skating is really safe.
Is it necessary to take skating lessons?
Anyone, regardless of age, physical condition or experience, can learn to skate. And you may even be able to operate the skates without assistance. However, by taking skating lessons with qualified instructors, we will not only learn to skate in much less time, but we will also learn to do it correctly. This way, we will get more out of our skates and avoid possible injuries.
There are several skating schools with very good reputations and a long history. To name two:
Official Skating School – Barcelona
Which skates to buy?
Today there are countless brands and models of skates with very different price ranges and with very different approaches. Skate advising has become complex and requires a great deal of time and experience. However, we advise you to check out our Inline Skates Buying Guide y
Buying guide for 4-wheel skates
that I’m sure will be useful to you. We also advise you to consult us and one of our experts will advise you on which skates to buy.
What protections should I use?
The short answer would be: all of them! Yes, the more protection we use, the safer and more confident we skate. The protective element that should always be worn is the helmet. From there, we can use knee pads, elbow pads, gloves and even protective pants. Wearing skate protection is obviously a personal choice, but from Inercia we strongly advise its use.
You can consult ourBuying Guide for skate protectionsto get a better idea of what protections you should buy for skating.
What should I do before I start skating?
For both active and somewhat sedentary people,skating requires a proper warm-up to avoid injury. By using muscles that are not normally used on a daily basis, the warm-up will help us not to go out cold and not to have a scare by making a sudden movement.
Toni Pla, director of the Official Skating School, shows us in this video a series of exercises to help us warm up well before going out to skate.
How to brake on skates?
This is undoubtedly one of the main questions we are asked by people who are not initiated in skating. There are multiple ways to brake on skates, some of them very powerful and safe. Although it may not seem like it, with skates you can brake relatively quickly and very safely. The only drawback is that, depending on the type of braking, it requires a lot of practice and skill. Fortunately, there is one brake that is quite powerful and requires little experience and that is the one that uses the rear brake block in the case of inline skates and the front brake block in the case of 4-wheel skates. Although this is a braking that more advanced skaters do not appreciate, for a beginner skater it is one of their best resources. Of course, there are many more types of braking that anyone can learn. Here are some video tutorials on skate braking that can help you.
Tutorial on how to brake with the brake block on inline skates:
Tutorial on how to brake with 4-wheeled skates:
At
our YouTube channel
you have many moretutorials to learn how to brake with your skates!
Can I ride in the bike lane with skates?
Although the legislation is not yet clear and has not yet been adapted to the reality that nowadays there are many different types of transportation, in most cases we will have no problem riding with our skates on the bike lane. However, that doesn’t mean that a police officer can ask us to leave the bike lane, so in the end it’s a bit up to the discretion of the law enforcement officer.
Can I use public transportation with skates?
In principle, the answer is no. Using public transportation on skates, whether it be subway, bus or train, is not very advisable no matter how good a skater you are. Constant changes of trajectory, acceleration and braking, and sharing space with more people, make incidents easy to provoke. Apart from that, it is quite common to see signs prohibiting skateboarding on all these public means of transport.
If we usually use a lot any means of public transport and we are also interested in using the skates to get to another place, we can opt for convertible skates such as those of the Doop brand.
Is skating healthy, does it help to get fit or lose weight?
Skating is one of the most complete and healthy physical activities there is. In addition to exercising our whole body, especially our legs, buttocks and abdomen, they help us to improve our coordination and balance.
One of the great advantages of skating, as opposed to running, for example, is that it is much more fun and enjoyable. In a one-hour skating session at medium intensity, you can burn about 600 Kcal, which is very good.
In addition, it greatly improves our mood, self-esteem and, ultimately, our health.
Do you have more questions about how to start skating?
If you have any questions about skating, please contact us and we will be happy to answer them!
