Health Benefits of Skateboarding – It’s a Lot More Than You Know 

Skateboarding was invented in California when surfers did not get enough waves to surf or when the waves were too rough. Hence they invented a skateboard with wheels.

Skateboarding is a popular sport pursued at leisure or even professionally. This recreational activity has had several spin-offs which include long-boarding and mountain boarding. All you skateboarders out there, you know that the skateboarding is not just an art, but a lifestyle and a culture. And the icing on the cake? – It’s great for your health too!

Here are some of the health benefits of Skateboarding

Improves Endurance

Skate all day – the more the better! If you think we’re kidding you’re wrong. Skateboarding tends to wear us out, but the more you do it, the more your endurance improves. Compared to other sports, skateboards are known to indulge a lot more in the sport, mainly, coz it’s fun.

More balance

It’s a no-brainer! Skateboarding is an art which requires complete balance and yes, doing it regularly will help you develop a good sense of balance. Skateboarders need to practice perfecting their balance till they get it right. It helps core muscles become stronger and thus give us an advantage which normal exercises don’t provide.

Stress Relief

While any physical activity is good to act as a stress buster, skateboarding has an extra advantage. Many patients use skateboarding as a therapy against stress. It allows you to free the mind and learning all those tricks is only going to boost your self-confidence.

Flexibility

Using your whole body to the maximum is an important part of skateboarding. Every part of your body is moving in different directions when you skate. As you can imagine, you will be using your arms, legs, body and even head. Such a variety of movement is bound to offer you endless flexibility.

Increased metabolism

Tedious exercises which require plenty of physical movement like skateboarding are the best workouts for a healthy metabolism. It works on a variety of muscles, you get to use both arms and feet. Thus, your body metabolism is increased and you will look fit and healthy.

Precision

Trying out new tricks helps you make adjustments. You time yourself better, you adjust your hands, you think out of the box for new tricks! You try adjusting your speed. Everything, just about anything you try, is all about applying yourself both physically and mentally to get the right tricks. All this involves a lot of precision and coordination of hand, eyes, and feet.

Fear of pain removed

Bruises scrapped legs, cuts, scars…they are all proof that you do take you’re skateboarding seriously. The fun excitement with skateboarding and the high each trick accomplished gives you, compensates for the fact that skateboarding is a rough sport and involves pain. While all small injuries go away, be wary of larger ones even when you completely overcome your fear.

Makes you Fearless and Brave

Not many sports except extreme sports can give you this feeling of being in control and brave. It is exhilarating when after countless hours of practice, you perform the most complex stunts. This ability to not give up, with a calm and focused mind will help you by making you really brave.

OK, now that we have heard some general health benefits, how good a workout is skateboarding from the medical point of view?

According to fitness experts, skateboarding is a rigorous cardio workout. The fitness benefits of skateboarding can be compared to spinning and those jumping ropes. According to Professor Olsen of exercise science from the Auburn University in Alabama, “Just pushing your skateboard on flat terrain is going to burn around 8-12 calories/minute and accelerate cardio activity. Skateboarding is great for the strengthening of abs as well.”

Beware of the following injuries when you are skateboarding

• Injuries to the arms, legs, neck, and trunk – this could be small like cuts or scrapes or big like fractures
• Facial injuries like a broken nose
• Concussion and head injuries

Hence it’s important to wear the right gear and enjoy the health benefits of skateboarding. Did you benefit from skateboarding? Right to us all about it in the comments below.