Roller skating is great exercise! And just like with any other type of exercise, it’s important to warm up and stretch before you hit the rink. If you’re new to skating, it’s important to get your balance on skates, and stretching and warming up can help.

The following exercises and stretches are designed to help you get ready. Make sure you do these stretches for roller skating on a regular basis to improve your skating skills!

• March in place: Before you stretch, do a little marching in place. Get your knees up in order to get your heart rate up. You can take this to a light run in place if you’d like.
• Side lunges: To warm up your thighs (which work hard when you skate) do some side lunges. Step to the side and bend down to a squat. Step just wider than your shoulders. Go from side to side several times to really stretch those muscles.
• Glute stretch: One great stretch for your legs is the figure four stretch. Bend your knees and put all of your weight on your right foot. Then cross your left foot over your right quad (above your knee). Sink back into the stretch to really stretch out your hip and glute. Repeat on the other side.
• Balance: This stretch will improve your skating balance. Bend your right knee and pick up your left foot. Lean forward. Balance on one foot as long as possible. Repeat on the other leg.
• Standing hamstring stretch: While standing, bend forward at the waist with legs relatively straight (a small bend in the knees is good for those with back problems). Reach towards your toes until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.

Now you’re ready to skate. We’ll see you at Skate Moore!