Is roller skating good for arthritis?
Life with arthritis can be challenging. It can have limited mobility, joint pain, and restricted social and productive life.
Worse, arthritis is a chronic illness – a condition that is highly probable to last at least a year. In light of this, you want to plan long-term.
How common is arthritis?
23.7% of the United States population has been diagnosed with arthritis. That translates to roughly one out of every four Americans.
To put this in context, at least 58.5 million Americans have arthritis.
Is Roller Skating Good for Arthritis?
Is roller skating good for arthritis? Roller skating is good for arthritis since it’s a low-impact aerobic activity. On top of that, roller skating improves cardiovascular health, burns calories, and strengthens muscles. Overall, it improves the quality of life.
Let’s examine the benefits of roller skating to people with arthritis.
1. Roller Skating Is Good for Your Heart
Roller skating is a low-impact aerobic workout. Maintaining a fluid balance on skates while gliding demands the heart supply oxygen to all 640+ muscles of the body.
Increased heart activity improves blood circulation throughout the body and enhances blood oxygen levels.
As a result, this reduces your exposure to cardiac problems such as excessive cholesterol, coronary artery disease, and heart attacks.
Aerobic exercise enhances insulin sensitivity. Insulin maintains healthy blood sugar and lowers your risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
A hearty exercise boosts the oxygen supply to muscles. This oxygen helps burn calories giving the body energy and stamina to get through the day.
2. Roller Skating Is Good for Your Weight
Managing weight while living with arthritis can be frustrating.
To avoid arousing the pain associated with arthritis, you can be tempted to diet to lose weight. Dieting, however, causes the metabolic system to slow down as the body attempts to conserve scarce calories.
Dieting is, therefore, self-defeating. Exercise, in contrast, raises metabolic rate. A fast metabolic rate helps burn calories faster and hence lose weight.
According to a study, roller skating activates all 640+ muscles. This high muscle activity can have a massive effect on weight loss.
Shedding off a few pounds lightens the load on joints. Reduced pressure on weight-bearing joints such as the knees and hips lessens arthritic symptoms.
3. Roller Skating Is Good for Your Muscles (And Bones)
Arthritis stiffens joints hampering mobility.
Roller skating exercises and strengthens body muscles. In addition, it increases your range of motion and loosens joints. Strong muscles and flexibility ease your mobility.
Roller skating also trains balance and body coordination. Both are central to mobility. Arthritis is notorious in the elderly. This notoriety can be worsened by muscle wasting with age.
Protein consumption combined with regular roller skating can help muscle growth and maintenance. Skating stimulates the release of hormones that regulate muscles’ absorption of amino acids.
By providing support, strong muscles ease the strain on joints.
4. Roller Skating Improves the Quality of Life
Your mood, stress levels, and sleep affect your quality of life.
Roller skating can promote the brain’s sensitivity to norepinephrine and serotonin hormones. These are social hormones that boost self-esteem and suppress depression feelings.
These hormones develop a sense of a common bond, making roller skating with friends fulfilling. Plus, roller skating is low impact, so you’ll be able to skate longer without developing fatigue.
Roller skating stimulates the release of endorphins. As the body’s natural morphine, endorphins uplift your spirits and suppress pain, assisting you in dealing with stress.
Managed stress is a recipe for a sound and relaxed sleep. Roller skating can even prolong your life.
How to Roller Skate With Arthritis?
Arthritis degrades joints, adversely impacting your physical health and mobility. Reduced mobility and joint pain weigh heavily on your ability to exercise.
Because of joint pains and stiff joints, exercising with arthritis can be a nightmare. Identifying a joint-friendly sport is, therefore, a perfect starting point.
Compared to running, inline skating causes less than half the impact shock to joints, according to University of Massachusetts research.
Studies also show skating engages all 640+ muscles, especially the heart, providing a full-body workout. Roller skating is, therefore, hands down the holy grail of a joint-friendly sport.
It is also critical to learn how to exercise safely with arthritis. You want to be gentle on joints since they are the primary victims of arthritis.
Here are some principles to live by as a person with arthritis:
- Warm up before skating to rev up your muscles.
- Skate in fitting and comfortable skates.
- Skate on smooth surfaces to limit shocks and vibrations.
- Wear safety gear – a helmet, wrist guards, knee and elbow pads – to shield your vulnerable joints.
- Use the proper roller skating posture. The correct posture helps maintain balance, reduce fall risk, and ease joint strain.
- Go slow on roller skating tricks. Pay attention to your body’s cues and adjust the intensity and duration of your workout to your comfort.
See a Doctor if Pain Persists!
Ultimately, smooth roller skating should help ease arthritis symptoms. But what if the symptoms keep getting worse?
If the joint pain goes on for about a week threatening your mobility and productivity, it’s time to see a doctor.
A doctor will diagnose the condition. Since there is no cure for arthritis, they will prescribe lifestyle changes to reduce joint pain and inflammation and promote proper joint function.
Is Roller Skating Good for Arthritis? | Wrapping Up
Living with arthritis demands adaptations to reduce strain on joints. One such adaptation is finding a joint-friendly workout.
Roller skating is an excellent workout for persons with arthritis. It develops muscles, helps lose weight, enhances heart health, and improves body balance. It also makes for great leisure.
Plus, it’s easy on joints. Warm up before roller skating to relax your muscles and guarantee a seamless workout. Also, skate on smooth surfaces, wear fitting skates, and use a perfect skating posture.
Go easy on roller skating tricks that could apply undue pressure on joints like jumping and spinning. See a doctor if symptoms worsen.
That’s it mate. I hope you found this guide helpful!
