This short article gives just a few basic inline skating tips.
Falling Exercises
If you are going to skate, you are going to fall. It's not fun to fall, but practicing falling will help an inline skater be prepared. First practice falling indoors. Next, practice falling on soft grass, and then on pavement. Don't forget to wear protective gear.
- If you anticipate a fall, bend your knees and squat down low.
- Lean a bit forward.
- Fall to your side.
- Don't lean back, or you may hit your head.
- Pull your arms into your body.
- Sit on the ground, take a deep breath, and relax.
- Now, turn over, so that you resemble a puppy dog standing on four legs. (Two hands, two knees, and two skates should be on the ground. Your stomach, chest, and rear should be off the ground.)
- Bring one skate into the middle of your hands.
- Push up on the raised knee with one or both hands.
- Bring the other skate next to the other foot's heel and stand up.
- Bend your knees and lean forward a bit.
Swizzle Exercises
Swizzles get inline skaters' knees going. The speed during swizzles comes from bending and straightening the knees.
To do forward swizzles do the following:
- First put your blades together with heels touching.
- Press your blades to the inside.
- Push outward, then inward and make your toes touch.
- You should make the shape of a fish on the ground.
- You have now done a forward swizzle.
- Repeat and do several swizzles in a row.
- Make sure to bend your knees when you do swizzles.
- If you allow your feet to go out too far without the knees distributed over the toes, you will go into the splits!
Rocking Horse Exercise
Backward swizzles are much more difficult than forward swizzles. Before attempting backward swizzles, first try doing an exercise called a "Rocking Horse."
- First complete one forward swizzle.
- Now, with the toes together, move in the reverse direction and go backward.
- Bend your knees and allow yourself to make the shape of a fish with your blades.
- Bring your heels together.
- Now repeat the forward and back swizzle sequence over and over again.
The "Rocking Horse" move will give most new inline skaters the confidence they need before attempting backward skating.
It's Okay to Stop on the Grass
Have you ever been skating too fast and can't figure out how to stop? One way to stop quickly is to just move off the pavement and to stop on the grass. Falling on the grass does not hurt as much as falling on the pavement!
Happy Skating!
