Get fit and muscly on skates quick: this is how you do it

Skating makes you fit and builds your muscles. There are very few sports that help you get fit so fast and easy as skating does. But how many calories do you actually burn, what muscles do you train, what exactly should you do to get fit and on which skates should you do all this?

Burn 600 calories in one hour of skating 

The good thing about getting a basic level of fitness, is that you don’t need to work really hard to get it done. Generally speaking, you will burn about 600 calories with one hour of skating. The amount of burned calories is connected with the intensity of a workout. With a relatively low heartbeat, your body will start to use this natural stock. It’s there for a reason: in times of shortages, you need it to be able to maintain prolonged efforts. While skating in a low pace, this is exactly what happens, in a very efficient way. 

Build stamina on skates

A great advantage of skating is that you’re able to maintain your effort for a long time, without getting a heart rate that is too low, or perhaps even too high. But as a recreational skater who wants to get fit, you can do so while skating. In this case lessons from top sports are quite useful. Top Athletes generally train in three heart rate zones. Simply put: in the lowest zone, you can still have a conversation, in the middle zone it gets somewhat harder and in the highest zone you need all your oxygen to make your effort. Do you get above this zone, you’ll get breathless. In the lower zones, you will burn mainly body fat, in the higher zones, you will burn sugars. 

The first zone is the most suited to get a broad level of fitness. You do feel you’re working out, but you can still breathe freely. It’s the kind of training that makes skating so much fun: you’re moving in a relaxed speed through the countryside, you can still have a chat with whoever you’re skating with ánd you can still enjoy the surroundings. At the same time, you’re burning calories and building your stamina. By skating in the lowest zone regularly, you’ll build up a great basic condition. Skate three times a week for an hour on a low intensity, and your fitness will improve noticeably.

Static tension on your legs, buttocks and belly without injuries

After skating for some time, you will get in shape and probably want more. While you were skating in a relaxed way, your muscles developed as well. You’ll start to notice after a couple of weeks some growth of muscles, your strike gets more powerful and you will simply be able to go faster. What’s great about skating, is the ability to build muscles without getting injured. Your knees are always in a certain angle, although this will be different for beginners, compared to more experienced skaters. But nonetheless, there’s always an angle and during skating, you will have continuous static tension on your legs, buttocks and belly. 

It’s those three muscle groups that benefit most from skating, even more than in running or cycling. Your legs, because they are constantly loaded, your buttocks because that’s where the power for skating comes from and your belly muscles because they are needed for balance. Because you get stronger, in stamina ánd physically, you can automatically handle a heavier load of training. You can then decide to train more intensely. To do that, you have to get back to the training zones mentioned before: by training in the middle zone every now and then, you will get fitter. In this middle zone, where you can still talk, but not very easy, you can train for quite some time. You can, for instance, choose to do three intervals of 10 minutes in this zone in some training sessions. 

And if you really get yourself going after this, you can choose to train in the highest zone. Your workout has such intensity, that talking will be somewhat problematic because of your breathing. It’s the kind of training you can’t handle for a very long time, and guess what: you shouldn’t. One to three minute peaks inside this zone is more than sufficient. Start with a limited amount of repetitions, and build it up. Once you’re on this level, you are already super fit, with very muscly legs, buttocks and belly muscles. 

Which skates should I use to get fit?

To help you get fit on skates as optimal as possible, Cadomotus has exactly the right skates for every level. It simply helps you enjoy skating more, and gives you the chance to grow also in material, so with every step you take you can use the right material. You probably will start skating for several hours a week, so a good set of skates is indispensable. You can start with the Agility-3, to have a great ride around. Or in terms of training: to skate in the low and the middle zone. Many novice skaters steer too much to the inside and outside, and look very unstable while skating. The extra support around the ankles prevents this from the start, it teaches you to balance your weight while pushing and the shoe ‘forces’ you to make the right move. You can choose a 100mm, 110mm or a 125mm frame. If you want to figure out for yourself what wheel size suits you most, Cadomotus helps you with a straightforward solution: the Comp-TR3-frame, in which you can use all three wheel sizes.

What you need to know before buying your first pair of inline speedskates

Are you already an advanced skater, or did you outgrow the Agility, then you can move on to the Versatile-skates. A useful guideline can be the training zones mentioned before. Do you want to train in the higher zones more often, than the Versatile suits you best. The skate comes in various heights. The lower shoe is most suited for inline races. The skate is really developed to help you skate on a higher, or maybe even the highest level. 

Chances are great that on a set of Cadomotus-skates, you will catch the skating-virus. All added up, you will have great stamina, a fit body and most of all, a lot of fun. Cadomotus offers the best skates at any level, skates that help you move as well as possible and enjoy this great sport to the max. See you on the road?