INLINE SKATING ACTIVITYCARD

Just what does it take to do inlineskating?

Gear UpThere are several different types ofinline skates, depending on thetype of skating you do.Recreational skates have a plasticboot and 4 wheels. These skates arebest for beginners. Hockey skateshave laces and are made of leatherwith small wheels for quickmovement. Racing skates have 5wheels and, usually, no brake.Freestyle skates have three wheelsand a pick stop for tricks. Fitnessskates have larger wheels and areused for cross-training. Aggressiveskates, the kind worn by X Gamescompetitors, are made of thickplastic with small wheels for quickmovement, and grind plates toprotect the skate when doing tricks.No matter what kind of skates youwear, always wear a helmet, as wellas wrist guards, elbow pads, andknee pads

Upper & LowerLegs

Heart & Lungs

Hips & Butt

Lower Back

Parts ofthe BodyWorked

Lifetime Fitness Skating Sports

Play it SafeAvoid getting hurt by making sure your helmet andpads are on correctly. Your helmet should be tightlybuckled, with the front coming down to right over youreyebrow, and your pads should be on tight, so theydon't slip while you are skating. It's also importantthat your helmet is approved by one of the groups whotest helmets to see which ones are the best: theConsumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), or SnellB-95 standards are best for inline skating helmets.Make sure you are always in control of your speed,turns and stops, and be careful of cracks in thepavement where you are skating — they can bedangerous if your wheels get caught in them. It's bestto go skating out of the way of traffic and other people(skating rinks are great places to skate).

How to PlayIf you're just beginning inline skating, here are sometips to get you rolling.

Practice balancing on your skates by walking in themon a flat, grassy area. As you move to the pavement,balance yourself without trying to move. Graduallybegin to skate by moving forward, but not too fast.Keep your knees bent and flexible when you skate — itwill keep you more stable. And if you fall — fallforward. Then you will fall on your kneepads — they'rethere to protect you!

It's also a good idea to take lessons from a certifiedinstructor — you can find one through theInternational Inline Skating Association. As you getmore skilled on your skates, there are several types ofcompetitive inline skating activities — like speedskating and aggressive skating, which includes eventslike those at the X Games. There are also sportsleagues just for those who play on wheels, such asroller hockey, roller soccer, and roller basketball.

Games

Lifetime Fitness Skating Sports

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Page last reviewed: January 22, 2013Page last updated: January 22, 2013Content source: Division of Population Health, National Center forChronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Skate on one foot. Practice balancing on one foot at atime while you're skating. See how long you can glideon each foot. This is a great way to work on yourbalance!

Skate with friends. Go inline skating at the local parkor skating rink, or join a skate club in your town.

Combine activities. Tired of just skating around incircles? Grab some friends for a game of inline hockey,inline basketball, or even inline soccer.

Fun FactsInline skates were invented by a Minnesota hockeyplayer so that he could skate during the off-season.

California has the most inline skaters — 3.6 millionresidents of the Golden State regularly go inlineskating.

Many professional skiers use inline skating to trainduring the off-season, because some of the skills ofeach activity are the same.

Related LinksInline Skating Resources(http://www.iisa.org/) (http://www.cdc.gov/Other/disclaimer.html)

Lifetime Fitness Skating Sports

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