Roller skating is a fun sport with plenty of benefits. It works 80% of the body’s muscles and burns approximately 650 calories per hour. It also strengthens the abdominal and lower back muscles.
You need to be a good roller skater not only to win as an athlete but also to improve your upright posture and coordination of your leg movements.
Becoming a good roller skater may take time if you don’t know what you’re doing. You also need to have better balance, core, and leg strength.
Don’t worry yourself! This guide covers how long it takes on average to become a good roller skater and the quickest way to do it. So, let’s get to it!
How Long Does It Take To Become a Good Roller Skater?
So to speak! How long does it take to become a good roller skater? It takes anywhere from four to eight weeks with effort and commitment to become a good roller skater. With the right roller skating equipment and knowledge of the primary sport’s techniques, you will be perfectly rolling within 30 to 50 days.
How to Become a Good Roller Skater Fast
Becoming a good roller skater will be a breeze if you know the basics of the sport. Knowing roller skating skills and some of the moves builds your confidence. Also, learning how to roller skate perfectly will make you better at it and have more fun.
Below are actionable tips on how to become a good roller skater;
1. Learn and Master Roller Skating Techniques
Roller skating involves many techniques that one needs to learn and master to become good at it. The primary techniques include;
Roller Skating Recommended Posture
Balance is key in roller skating and contributes to your skating posture. The recommended posture for roller skating is as below,
- Your feet should be shoulder width apart while standing and roller skating.
- Your knees should be slightly bent with your hands always on the sides.
- Bend towards the ground from your hip like you are dropping to a squat position.
Braking and Balancing
Stability on roller skaters is something else to put into consideration. When you are stable, you can make stops and avoid falling easily. The must-know roller skating braking techniques are the t-stop, plow stop, and toe stop.
Below is a comprehensive article about how to stop when roller skating. Check it out to learn how the t, plow, and toe stop work.
More Reading>> How to Stop Rollerblading | 9 Effective Techniques
Mastering the Ready Position
A perfect start calls for a perfect run, and so is skating. How you roll from your start position reduces your anxiety and increases your confidence to do perfect and complete rides. Read this article to learn how to be in the ready position.
Understanding How to Fall Safely
When it comes to roller skating, falling is like a daily cup of tea; it’s inevitable. You, therefore, need to understand how to fall safely. Mastering the falling technique protects you from risky injuries, and you can be on your roller skates in no time.
To have a safe fall, break the fall with your hands. As a result, you should always wear protective gear. Choose a direction to fall in and tilt your body in that direction. This way, you’ll lower the risk of suffering injuries.
More Reading>> How to Fall when Rollerblading (4 Incredibly Safe Techniques)
Performing Roller Skating Tricks
You can become a good roller skater if you understand how to perform roller skating tricks. Performing roller skating tricks pushes you to try new things and improves your overall skating skills. It also feels good and fulfilling.
The basic roller skating tricks to learn include spinning, back skating, and one-foot skating. Here is a detailed article about roller skating tricks for beginners and intermediate skaters.
More reading>> Rollerblading Tricks for Beginners and Intermediate Skaters
Mastering Back Roller Skating
To become a good roller skater, master the back skating technique. The backward-facing movements provide 100% blindspot, making it challenging to be aware of your surroundings. It feels unnatural to many people.
Mastering the back skating move will make you stand out and helps in improving your roller skating skills. Next? You will be roller skating like a pro!
You need to bend your knees slightly to back skate. Keep your feet in an inverted V shape and shoulder width apart, and start pushing backward. When back skating, always look behind for obstacles or fellow skaters.
Roller Skating Fast
Learning to roller skate fast is a ticket to becoming a good roller skater, which is much more thrilling and exciting. And skating fast is not enough. You should roller skate and safely complete your rides.
You must have perfect balance before wanting to skate fast. The key to roller skating fast is to make longer pushes. You can also use large-sized wheeled roller skates and high-precision roller skate bearings.
More reading>> How to Make Roller Skates Faster
Mastering UpHill and DownHill Roller Skating
Roller skating up and down a hill requires a combination of stability, agility, and balance. To become a good roller skater in time, learn to glide down and up a mountain.
You must maintain one foot in front of the other, bend your knees, and keep your body low to successfully roller skate downhill.
Put pressure on your heels and equally distribute your weight in the front. The best way to roller skate uphill is to squat, raise your chest, and slightly drop your butt.
2. Exercise to Strengthen Your Core and Leg Muscles
Roller skating involves much of your lower body muscles. A strong core helps keep you balanced on the skaters, as are strong legs. You should consider exercises that strengthen your core and leg muscles to become a good roller skater fast.
A strong core and legs contribute to your agility, speed, flexibility, and overall body balance on roller skates. You can try out squats and plank climbers exercise to work out your core and leg muscles.
3. Familiarize and Learn How to Roller Skating on Unfriendly Surfaces
Although safety is always top consideration, taking a chance can often be advantageous, particularly when skating. Your ability to learn to skate swiftly is significantly influenced by the surfaces you use.
You can improve your skating technique by practicing on unfriendly surfaces indoors and outdoors. Pavements, concrete, driveways, bike lanes, and skating rinks are some surfaces you can roller skate on.
A rough surface is ideal for developing balance on skates. Some of them are uneven or patterned. They can be hazardous, especially for beginners. They require a lot of muscle strength to push skates through.
It is advised for novices to roller skate on smooth surfaces like bike lanes, concrete driveways, and asphalt.
How Long Does It Take To Become a Good Roller Skater? |Final Thoughts
How long does it take to become a good roller skater? You can become a good roller skater by investing 1 to 2 hours a day in learning and mastering roller skating techniques.
Mastering roller skating recommended posture, back skating, tricks, speed, braking, balancing, and skating safely contributes to becoming a good roller skater.
Here is a summary of how to become a good skater fast.
- Learn and Master Roller Skating Techniques
- Exercise to strengthen your core and leg muscles
- Familiarize and Learning Roller Skating on Unfriendly Surfaces
- Enroll in online and offline roller skating classes
- Join roller skater groups and learn from more experienced skaters
- Practice more often, at least twice a week.
- Find online resources on Youtube and other social media channels.
That’s it! I hope you found this helpful.
