How many calories do I burn ice skating? On average, a person weighing 180 pounds burns between 640-850 calories per hour, 450 calories for 45 minutes, 300 calories for 30 minutes, and 150 calories for 15 minutes. A person weighing 100 pounds burns 333 calories per hour, 250 calories for 45 minutes, 167 calories for 30 minutes, and 83 calories for 15 minutes.
The average amount of calories burned depends on body weight and the intensity of ice skating. In the rest of this blog, we’ll dive into the details of how many calories you can burn ice skating. You don’t want to miss this, so keep reading!
Calories Burned Ice Skating
The two main determinants of calories burned when ice skating are weight and intensity of the exercise. Therefore, if you want to burn more calories ice skating, it would be best to invest more time in the exercise.
In addition, you can take it a notch by going outdoors to skate uphill or downhill. Compared to adults, children burn few calories per hour of ice skating. Assuming an adult is 180 pounds, they will burn between 640 and 850 calories per hour.
On the other hand, a person weighing half that weight will burn around 333 calories per hour. In addition, the number of calories burned decreases or increases with time. So, if you want to burn more, it’s recommended to ice skate longer.
If you have time, you can do more than an hour per session. Two to three hours with short breaks in between should get you quick results. The best part is that ice skating is fun, so it doesn’t feel like work.
You can also participate in figure skating, which is more interesting if you love dancing. Another alternative would be playing ice hockey as a sport. The options are limitless, and you can burn a lot of calories through ice-skating disciplines. The bottom line is to do what makes you happy!
That being said, how many calories do you burn ice skating? The average calories burned ice skating for one hour is between 640 and 850 calories. On the other hand, you burn approximately 310 calories when ice skating for 30 minutes or longer.
If you want to lose more, it will help if you skate more often. Try ice skating at least 3-5 times every week for 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can do longer hours if you have the time. Nothing is stopping you!
Probably you’re wondering how many calories you can burn in 2hrs, 3hrs, etc. Here’s the link to an online calorie burned calculator. You can use it to find out how many calories you’d burn regardless of your body weight.
Why Does Ice Skating burn So Many Calories?
Why does ice skating burn so many calories, you ask? Ice skating is an intensive and rigorous sport, especially ice speed skating, meaning a lot of energy is required. In the process, the body works hard to convert calories and stored fat to energy in aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
Aerobic respiration takes place in the body cells and the presence of oxygen. For example, the heart pumps oxygenated blood to the body and the cells where calories are converted to energy. Sometimes, the body supplements energy production through anaerobic respiration.
What’s anaerobic respiration, you ask? It’s the reverse of aerobic respiration, meaning it takes place without oxygen and in the muscles. In addition, the body switches to anaerobic respiration to produce more energy for ice skating when necessary.
During anaerobic respiration, muscle fat is broken down to produce the needed energy. This tones the muscles while burning fats stored in the muscles.
The best part is, ice skating works all body muscles, especially the lower body, including the core, gluteus, adductors, quadriceps, and hamstring muscles.
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Unfortunately, one of the by-products is lactic acid which causes fatigue and muscle pain. This is something you have to prepare for, especially when you intend to practices for longer hours. Nonetheless, it’s not worth stressing over because it goes away after a few days.
Overall, ice skating has tons of cardio and aerobic benefits. Ice skating increases your heartbeat rate to pump oxygenated blood to all body parts, thereby increasing the rate of aerobic respiration. The quicker the rate of aerobic respiration, the more calories are burned.
Can you lose weight by ice skating?
Can you lose weight by ice skating? You’re probably wondering. The answer is an absolute yes! There are so many calories burned when ice skating, meaning it’s possible to lose weight by ice skating.
You gain weight when your body has a low metabolism rate, meaning your body doesn’t use a lot of the glucose from digestion. Instead, it converts the glucose to fats and stores it in the muscles. In the process, the fats accumulate, and before you know it, you’re overweight.
The good news is, ice skating comes in handy to help prevent gaining too much weight or managing the current weight. First, glucose is immediately converted to the energy needed for ice skating through aerobic respiration, meaning little or none is stored in the muscles.
In addition, the body switches to anaerobic respiration to produce more energy for the body when necessary. This burns the fats stored in the muscles and converts them to energy in anaerobic respiration. The process works and tones all muscles, especially the lower part.
This includes muscles like the core, gluteus, hamstrings, and adductors. So, if you’re looking for a way to lose weight while having fun, ice skating will go a long way. In addition, this is one of the best ways to lose belly fat and develop abs.
Does skating count as exercise?
Does skating count as an exercise, you ask? The answer is a big yes. All skating disciplines like ice skating, aggressive skating, fitness skating, speed skating, and freestyle skating are forms of physical exercise.
Therefore, they help the body burn excess calories while keeping the body in the perfect physical form. Compared to other forms of exercise, skating is more fun and exciting. It’s one of the best ways to exercise while having fun at the same time.
Fitness Benefits of ice Skating
There are tons of fitness benefits of ice skating, and we’ve already seen some of them. Nonetheless, here’s a quick rundown of everything:
1. Safe on Joints
Ice skating is considered a low-impact aerobic exercise. Just like rollerblading, it’s rough on fats and calories but gentle on your joints. So, if you’ve got knee or ankle problems, ice skating should be the least of your worries.
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In addition, ice skating is recommended for people with bad knees because of the low impact. So if you’re looking for an excellent way to keep fit, but your knees won’t allow it, ice skating will be a perfect fit for you.
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2. Develops All Body Muscles
Ice skating works all body muscles since it’s an intensive exercise. The main muscles involved when ice skating are the core, gluteus, adductors, quadriceps, and hamstrings.
When ice skating, these muscles are toned and strengthened at the same time. One of the main benefits of muscles development is holding the body together, especially the skeletal system.
3. Improves Body Balance and Coordination
The best part is, it doesn’t stop at muscle development. Therefore, this improves your body balance and coordination, and overall productivity throughout the day. Ice skating goes a long way in helping improve productivity at work or other activities you’re involved in.
4. Tons of Cardio and Aerobic Benefits
Lastly, ice skating comes with tons of cardio and aerobic benefits. These include improved heart health, improved lung function, reduced cholesterol in the blood, and low blood pressure. Most importantly, it helps burn excess calories and fats, thereby helping you to lose weight.
Does Ice Skating Burn Calories? Wrapping Up
After in-depth research and consultation with experts, I discovered that you could burn between 640 and 850 calories per hour, 450 calories in 45 minutes, 300 calories in 30 minutes, and 150 calories in 15 minutes. Also, the number of calories you burn will depend on body weight and the intensity of skating. I hope you found this blog helpful!
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