Inline Skates and Exercise Benefits by Peter Kudlacz

I find that roller blading is extremely safe once you get proficient at it. Rarely will you fall by yourself. If you do, it's usually a result of your surroundings. No different than cycling or walking on a sidewalk. To prevent injuries and scrapes, you may wish to purchase elbow, wrist and knee pads plus a helmet.

What should you look for when buying a pair of inline skates? If you're new to this sport, I suggest you either borrow a pair from a friend or rent a pair just to try it out, get a feel. When you're ready to buy a pair there are a few things to look for. If you're going to buy a really cheap pair I'll guarantee you that you will not enjoy inline skating. What I suggest that you buy a pair in the mid-price range.

What should you look for in a pair of inline skates? The obvious being that the boot fits your feet properly in a pair of sports socks. If you feel the boot rubbing against your ankles or your toes rubbing inside the boot, try another pair because ill-fitted boots will result in blisters and soar feet. Just like a badly fitting pair of running shoes.

I prefer laces for the boot with one plastic or velcro strap at the top and soft boots with plastic heel and bottom moldings for extra support. Soft boots with no plastic molding support usually give way to your ankle over time. Wheels should be in the 76-78mm range. 80mm is too big a wheel for most people. Look for bearings with ABEC 4-5. Most quality inline skates come with ABEC 5 bearings nowadays anyway.

I've tried several different makes of inline skates over the years. I find I like K2 the best and highly recommend them. I like their sleek design, they fit my feet very well and have great support. K2s are also very comfortable and light in weight. Ultra Wheels are also very good and I hear that Salomon are quality blades too.

Inline skates are easy to maintain. The wheels need to be rotated every once in a while to prevent uneven wearing out. So if you use them 3 times a week, monthly is fine or take a look for how much wear there is on the wheels. The bearings need to be lubricated too. I do this by removing the wheel bearings assembly and wiping the surface of any dirt and then spraying the entire wheel bearing assembly with lubricant. I don't remove the bearings from the assembly casing any more since I find very little dirt gets in there and it's a lot of work.

In this article I've discussed the cardiovascular and strength training benefits associated with inline skating. What you should look for when purchasing a pair of inline skates and their proper maintenance.

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