Rollerblading Vs. walking | the Ultimate Comparison

Rollerblading vs. walking? Which is which? Or rather, what should you consider when looking for a reliable way to work out? In my opinion, both forms of exercise have pros and cons, and it all narrows down to your personal preference.

The good news is, you can still undertake walking vs. rollerblading as cross-exercises. So, if you’re wondering how the two compare, I’ve put together this comprehensive guide with you in mind. So, having said that, here’s…

Rollerblading vs. Walking at a glance:

The main difference between Rollerblading vs. walking is in the number of calories burned. While Rollerblading burns between 573 and 1069 calories per hour, walking burns between 148 and 558 calories per hour.

Elements of comparison	Rollerblading	Walking
Muscle Development	Rollerblading engages leg muscles along with glutes, core, and upper body.	Moderately works all body muscles, especially the lower body.
Aerobic Benefits	Low-impact aerobic exercise with aerobic benefits.	Low impact aerobic exercise with aerobic benefits.
Calories Burned	Around 573-1069 calories every hour, depending on weight and type of terrain.	Low-impact aerobic exercise with more aerobic benefits.
Gear Needed	Pair of inline skates, protective gear like helmet, light clothing	Pair of light shoes, a bottle of water, and maybe a stereo set.
Skillset	Training is required to get started. Rollerblading requires more balance and coordination than walking.	No training is required. Walking requires little skill
Speed	8 mph – 16 mph on flat terrain, technique, and inline skates.	3 mph – 4 mph depending on terrain and body weight.
Cardiovascular Benefits	High impact cardiovascular exercise. It keeps the heart-healthy.	Moderate impact cardio exercise. It helps to keep the heart-healthy.
Joints Safety	Little to no impact on joints.	Moderate impact on joints, especially knees and ankles.
Activity Venue	Skate parks, urban roads, trails	You can walk anywhere so long as it’s safe.
Skating or walking Surface	Dry Asphalt or concrete surface with limited off-road.	You can walk on any surface, wet and dry. However, some rocky terrains may be challenging.

Rollerblading Vs. Walking: Elements of Comparison

Is it rollerblading or walking that’s suitable for you? Arriving at a quick conclusion can be tough without critically analyzing rollerblading vs. walking.

So, let’s compare the two side by side! Shall we?

1. Muscle Development when Walking vs. Rollerblading

Both rollerblading and walking work all body muscles, especially the lower body. However, rollerblading is more effective at muscle development than walking since it’s rigorous and intensive. Some of the muscles that develop when rollerblading or walking include:

The glute muscles
The core muscles
The quadriceps muscles
Hamstrings muscles
Adductors muscles

The muscles play the important role of holding the skeletal system together. Therefore, you should aim for stronger muscles all the time as this can increase your productivity levels.

In addition, if you want to tone down muscles, you may have to consider getting into rollerblading, especially when working your abs and legs.

On the other hand, walking works more on the leg muscles. So, if you’re looking to tone your leg muscles, you may consider walking as a good exercise.

Lastly, besides cardiovascular benefits, there are these benefits of rollerblading you should know.

2. Walking Vs. Rollerblading Aerobic Benefits

According to aerobic studies, rollerblading and walking are considered low-impact aerobic exercises. This means they’re gentle on joints while still offering maximum aerobic benefits.

However, rollerblading is gentler on the joints, more vigorous, and thus the aerobic benefits tend to manifest pretty fast.

Some of the aerobic benefits you should expect from rollerblading and walking include:

Low chances of developing heart diseases
Controlled blood sugar level
Better functioning of lungs
Reduced cholesterol levels

3. Calories Burned Rollerblading vs. Walking

How many calories does one burn when walking? According to studies, one burns between 148 calories and 558 calories per hour of walking. In addition, the total amount of calories burned depends on body weight, speed, and the type of surface and terrain.

For example, you’ll burn more calories when walking uphill at a moderately high speed than walking downhill. This is because walking uphill means going against the force of gravity, which requires a lot of energy. In the process, stored fats in the bored are quickly burned to the energy required for walking uphill.

Having said that, how does this compare with rollerblading? And how many calories does one burn when rollerblading? According to studies, one burns between 573 and 1069 calories per hour of rollerblading depending on the terrain and body weight.

All factors constant, rollerblading burns more calories than walking. This is mostly because rollerblading is more intensive and works all body muscles to generate enough energy. If you’re looking for a better way to burn stubborn fat, you may have to try inline skating.

4. Gear Needed When Rollerblading vs. Walking

To get started in rollerblading, you’ll need the basic gear that comprises a pair of inline skates and protective gear such as helmets, wrist guards, elbow pads, and knee pads.

On the other hand, for walking, you’ll only need a pair of light shoes. Comparing the two, rollerblading offers a high barrier to entry since you have to buy basic gear.

On the flip side, it’s cheaper and easy to get started in walking and adopt it as a reliable form of cardio exercise. But, again, this is because it doesn’t cost much to buy the initial gear.

However, if you have the money to spend on rollerblading gear, then go ahead and get one when you go rollerblading.

5. Skills Needed When Rollerblading vs. Walking

Rollerblading requires basic skills like mastering the inline skating position, stopping rollerblading, doing double push, or hockey skills. On the other hand, you don’t need any skills to get started in walking.

This means it’ll take you more time to learn and get into rollerblading. You don’t need to go through this for walking unless you’re doing it professionally (walking race).

6. Rollerblading Vs. Walking Cardiovascular Benefits

Cardio exercises are good at keeping your heart healthy, thereby helping to keep lifestyle diseases at bay. The good news is, both rollerblading and walking have these benefits.

However, rollerblading is more intensive and rigorous than walking, meaning the cardiovascular benefits tend to kick in pretty fast. So, if you’re looking for quick results, you may have to consider rollerblading instead of walking.

7. Safety on Joints When Rollerblading vs. Walking

Rollerblading is considered a low-impact aerobic exercise, meaning it’s got tons of aerobic benefits but gentle on body joints like the knee and ankles. Considering that you’re rolling while skating, there’s no hard impact between your feet and the surface, not unless you’re jumping.

On the other hand, when you’re walking, there’s a direct impact between your feet and the surface. Depending on how fast you’re walking, this can impact your joints, especially the knee.

Therefore, this trickles down to one thing: rollerblading is good for people with bad knees, while walking may not be a good fit.

8. Rollerblading vs. Walking Speed

How fast can one walk? According to research, the average walking speed is between 3 mph and 4 mph, depending on terrain, body weight, gender, height, and surface type.

That being said, how fast can one rollerblade? On average, one will rollerblade at a speed of between 8 mph and 16 mph depending on body weight, skating technique, terrain, surface type, and inline skating shoes.

If you’re looking for inline skate brands to consider, I did an article with you in mind. Feel free to check it out!

That being said, rollerblading is fast than walking simply because of the advantage of rolling on the wheels. On the other hand, walking is 100% mechanical. So, if you love speed, rollerblading would be a good fit for you.

9. Rollerblading vs. Walking Venue

Rollerblading is meant for a few selected places so long as they’ve got a smooth surface. Therefore, you can rollerblade on urban roads, skate parks, pavements, bike paths, recreational parks, inline skating trails, and car parking lots.

In the same way, you can go walking anywhere provided there’s security. The main advantage walking has over rollerblading is that you can do it on any surface. (Both smooth and rough)

10. Rollerblading or Walking Surface

Rollerblading is best suited for smooth surfaces like asphalt, concrete, ice, and rare cases like off-road. This is largely due to how the wheels are designed to roll primarily on smoother surfaces.

On the other hand, there’s no restriction on what surfaces you can walk on as long as you have shoes on. So, therefore, while rollerblading is restrictive, walking isn’t.

Rollerblading Vs. Walking: Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can you Lose Weight by Rollerblading?

It is possible to lose weight by rollerblading because it works all body muscles, especially the core and glute muscles. Besides, rollerblading offers tons of aerobic and cardiovascular benefits that help burn excess body calories by between 573 and 1069 calories per hour, depending on weight and type of terrain.

2. Are Rollerblades Faster than Walking?

Rollerblades are faster than walking because they have the added advantage of the wheels which one rolls on. Therefore, rollerblading speed varies between 8 mph and 16 mph depending on terrain, technique, and inline skates, while walking speed varies between 3 mph and 4 mph depending on terrain and body weight.

3. Can Rollerblading help you Lose Belly Fat?

Rollerblading works the core muscles that constitute 100% of the belly area. Since the sport is vigorous, it burns the fats stored around the belly area, converting it to energy and water. Therefore, for quick results, you need to rollerblade frequently to burn all the belly fat.

4. Is Rollerblading good for Your Back?

Rollerblading works the back and back muscles, thereby strengthening it to hold the spine together. In addition, because of the muscle endurance you put yourself through when rollerblading, the back muscles develop and keep back pain at bay while increasing your daily productivity.

5. Is Skating Faster than Walking?

It is possible for skating to be faster than walking, depending on the specific circumstances. Some factors that can influence the relative speed of skating and walking include the surface being traveled on, the skill level of the person skating or walking, and the distance being traveled.

On a smooth, flat surface, skating can be significantly faster than walking, especially if the skater is experienced and has good technique. Skating allows a person to cover longer distances with fewer strides, and the gliding motion of skating can be more efficient than walking. However, if the surface is uneven or slippery, or if the skater is inexperienced or has poor technique, skating may not be faster than walking.

It is also worth noting that skating can be more strenuous than walking, especially if the skater is pushing themselves to go faster or if they are skating over hills or rough terrain. In these cases, skating may not necessarily be faster than walking, but it can still be an effective way to get around and get some exercise.

Final Verdict: Rollerblading or Walking?

Both rollerblading and walking have tones of benefits for your body. So if you’re looking for a way to exercise and keep fit, you’ll never go wrong with either rollerblading or walking.

However, settling on one may be a hurdle for you. Is it rollerblading or walking that’s best for you? I believe you can only tell when you try out both of them.

With this comprehensive guide, now you have all the pros and cons of rollerblading vs. walking, and you can use these to get started. So, what’s stopping you now?