Learning How To Roller Skate As An Adult

Age, they say, is just a number. It is certainly never too late to start having fun or taking up a new roller skating hobby.

Roller-skating is such an enjoyable activity that young teens and adults can enjoy. Whether it is skating in the rink or outside in your neighborhood, it is a great way to burn calories and stay in shape.

Plus, roller-skating is a great stress reliever, with the whole travails of adulthood. It is okay to get a little breather here and there.

Roller skating might not be a new activity to many people; however, some people have not skated since they were kids in high school.

Thus, getting back on the roller-skates or inline skates can be an uphill battle.  It is better to relearn the basics you once forgot to save yourself the stress of falling.

This article will help jog your memory and support people looking to take up a new activity in roller-skating.

Type Of Roller-Skates

When looking for the best beginner roller skates to kick off or reinvent your roller-skating career, you have a few things to consider. 

There are variations of skates for different skill levels—the skates for recreation, racing, and design types. They also vary in the type of closure, bearings, wheels, and height.

Beginners should have high Ankle roller skates that provide enough stability and firmness on the ankles. It would help if you had the balance from now on in your roller-skating career.

Also, the bearings determine your speed, so getting roller skates that fit perfectly with your current level will be great.

Also, sizing is an important feature before getting to ride the roller skates. Many people never get their sizes correctly, consequently leading to issues in their feet. Each roller-skate you get has a sizing chart; look for the type that perfectly suits you.

Another consideration is knowing which skates go well with the surfaces you want to use. The wheels have different sizes also; essentially, it is important to have an idea of the wheel size to know how best they will roll and the surfaces to try them on.

Learn How To Balance On The Skates

It can be quite tricky to learn how to balance the roller skates, especially when you have never tried it before or if you don't have any skating or longboarding experience. 

Some beginners use a wall to gain support, but what you need to do first will be to loosen the nuts. Most skates come with tight nuts that may be an issue for beginners.

Now that you have got that out of the way. The big question comes in, how do you stand on the skates. For beginners, try to keep a slightly bent posture with your knees in front of you. With this in mind, also spread your legs apart and put your arms in front of you.

Beginners make the mistake of standing too quickly, understand that this is a gradual process, so try to bend your knees, and if you feel like falling, bend some more.

Practice Falling

The feeling of encouraging a beginner to fall might be confusing, but there is a logical explanation.

It is inevitable that as a beginner, you will fall a couple of times. Probably when you are trying to get a state or when you start rolling. However, practicing falling helps prevent a devastating outcome with the safety pads on; if you fall wrongly, you could hurt yourself.

Therefore, to avoid a painful fall, always pick a side to fall to. When you do this, get low and stiffen your butt. Bracing yourself before hitting the ground helps you avoid major complications.

Start Rolling

You should have a friend close by to help steady you on occasions. It is nothing to be ashamed of; all great roller-skaters passed through this same process.

Gradually take your stance, which you have practiced, let your friend steal you away from the bench or chair you sat to wear the skates. Let the friend pull away slowly and leave you. Once he or she does, spread your arms and bend slightly; as you gain momentum, carefully stand up.

You will need to distribute your weight so you do not affect the movement of the skates. Start moving by pushing one foot straight slowly and taking right back to the center. Do these gently; we do not want to get too carried away. Once you start moving, try to stand up slowly.

Great! You are doing it. But remember, don't try to walk normally when on skates; feel and glide normally. When you feel like you want to fall, get low and squeeze.

To stand on your own, try to put the skates with their side touching each other. Try standing with both skates touching each other, more like letting the heels touch.

How To Brake

It is amazing. By now, you know how to move, but you must be able to come to a halt sooner or later. As enjoyable as roller skating can be, knowing how to break can save you from impending danger. You will need to point your toes in and squeeze your inner thighs.

As you do this, the skates will come together slowly, and you will gradually come together at a halt.

This is great for beginners, but your goal is to make the teeth stop quicker. Hence, it would help if you worked mainly in your thighs. The more you do this, the better you get, and the more effective your stops will be.

Conclusion

Before you get to the tricks, which is one of the most exciting things about roller skating, you need to understand the process.

Make sure the skates are light and easy to move for you. Once you realize the skates are heavy, then it would be hard to move properly.

Finally, keep on practicing. It takes consistency and patience to become good and reinvent the old skating skills you once had when you were younger.