Have you ever been part of any adventurous and competitive sport? If not, then welcome to the sports world here.
A recreational activity, competitive sport, and full of adventure – that is the perfect definition of the sport that we are going to discuss today, which is roller skating. It has been there for ages and provides a phenomenal workout option for a lot of people. And if you are a beginner who is just starting this sport but is confused about where to start from, then voila! This is the right place. We will clear the cloud of confusion for you. Here we are presenting how to roller skate if you are a beginner. Without further ado, read further and fetch yourself with all the answers.
First things first,
Buy the right skating equipment: With skating equipment, it doesn’t mean that you need only a pair of skates. Remember to look for these items as well –
A helmet: As you are a beginner, the helmet is necessary to safeguard yourself from injuries and increase your comfort level.
Knee pads: There is no denying the fact that as you are just starting, you are bound to hit the ground often. So don’t forget to wear knee pads. Wear wrist guards too for the protection of the hands.
Right posture: It is mandatory to maintain the right posture for this sport. How can you practice maintaining it? Keep a distance between your feet. Afterward, bend your knees and come in a squat position. Slightly lower your back toward the ground. Lean forward to maintain a comfortable squatting position. Remember the key point here –
Don’t forget that this sport works on the principle of balancing. The better you learn how to balance yourself, the more you can prevent yourself from toppling over. It is normal to fall a few times before you feel comfortable with the posture. But practice will make things easier. Thus, practice the correct posture until you attain mastery in it.
Note: Keep the spare parts available with you. For example – roller skate bearings, nuts etc. Sometimes roller skate bearings may wear out soon, hence having a good quality pair with you always works well.
Gliding technique – To become known with the gliding technique, roll for a while to lengthen each step/stride. Push off the ground with the help of one foot and glide with another one till you lose the momentum, then switch over the gliding foot. Keep the other foot (other than the gliding foot) above the floor to smoothen the gliding process. Things to keep in mind here are –
While you are gliding, try to practice turning left and right. Lean your body in the direction where you are turning. For instance – if you are turning right, slightly lean your body towards the right. The same rule goes for the left too.
To glide faster, move your legs speedily and obtain momentum. Put the pressure on the wheels by leaning forward to obtain the momentum. Practice taking the most out of your body weight to enhance the speed. To keep up with the balance, use your arms by bending them at the elbows. Remember to move the elbows back and forth to achieve the best balance.
Practice stopping: This competitive sport is not only about moving ahead with skating as an expert but also how good you are at stopping yourself when required. Let us tell you that the right pair of skates come with the brake, and these are located on the toe of the skate. So how does this stop process work? Glide with the skates parallel to each other. After that, keep yourself in the squatting position along with slightly leaning forward. Place both the skates in front of each other. Now lift the toe of the right skate and press the ground hard on the toe. Experts say that the harder you press, the more quickly you will stop.
Stop confidently with full thrust instead of nervously touching the brake to the floor. If you become light with pressing on the brake, you can lose balance, thereby falling on the ground.
If it sounds difficult to you, here is another solution. Take the help of the hands to press down on the right knee. This will help you in exerting enough pressure to stop the skates.
Skate backward – If you want to skate backward, keep the feet in an inverted “V” shape, toes together and heels apart. Stay in the position of the squat and put pressure on the right toe by lifting the other foot. In the next step, drop the left foot and apply pressure to it by lifting the right foot.
It is obvious that you will not be able to look behind when you are skating backward. So, start slowly to know how you can turn your body to see behind without falling on the floor.
Word of caution: Steer clear of leaning backward; otherwise, you will fall.
Now go to the rink – How do you get better at any sport? Through practice, practice, and only practice. Therefore, to attain superior results, practice more often. Look if there is any skating rink near your place. Go there 2-3 times a week and build your skills. Practice the techniques of gliding, backward skating, and stopping. Do not stop unless you are comfortable in doing turns and stopping yourself with perfect balance.
Join a league – Roller skating is a leisure activity. But it is also true that it comes under competitive sport. If you enjoy doing it on your own but are also ready for some challenge, then join a league. If you can’t find any league near you, just call some friends and form your own.
To sum it all up
Skating isn’t just a competitive sport but a great form of exercise. So, be more adventurous by learning how this sport works, and you will experience the thrill of life. Enjoy the time of life with breathtaking roller skating!
