Top 10 Health Benefits of Ice Skating

This informative and beneficial article on the top 10 health benefits of Ice Skating was written by Matthew Marley. It discusses 10 key health benefits - both physically and mentally - of ice skating. Enjoy the read.
High 5,
Matt

Top 10 Health Benefits of Ice Skating

Ice skating is mostly considered a fun hobby by most people. Earlier, it used to be a sport limited to only the coldest of regions, and that too only during the winter months. However, with the advent of technology, you have several cities across the world sporting indoor ice skating rinks to enable fans of ice skating to enjoy this sport even during the peak of summer.
Gliding across the ice on sharp, blade-like skates at high speeds seems like a fun activity to perform, but most people are unaware that sometimes an activity which is extremely liberating can also end up being extremely healthy as well. Given below are the top 10 health benefits of ice skating:

1. Ice Skating Helps Burn Calories:
This is perhaps the most obvious of health benefits which ice skating confers upon its loyal entourage of fans. Anyone who has strapped on the razor sharp skates to go for a lap in even the smallest of ice skating rinks anywhere in the world can vouch for the fact that it is an extremely exhausting workout.
Given the fact that ice skating requires your whole body to tense up to enable stability, balance and movement means that it burns a lot of calories in an extremely short duration of time. Coupled with the fact that the body tends to burn more calories in cold weather, ice skating ends up looking like a very attractive option for those who want to burn off those extra calories.

2. Ice Skating Improves Your Posture:
This might not seem very obvious to a lot of people, but once you think about it, it becomes pretty clear why this happens. For one, the skates which one is supposed to wear while ice skating are razor thin at the bottom- which means that you have to literally balance yourself on two extremely thin wedges of metal. This is because the concentration of body weight in that small area causes the ice to melt, changing it to water and providing the necessary slippery surface for the skater to move along smoothly across the ice. This sort of balancing requires a lot of engagement of the core-the abs, back, legs and other stabilizing muscles.
Apart from this, to move ahead, the body needs to generate momentum, To do this, the skater needs to contract all the muscles of the abdomen and the legs and push himself forward. This also results in stronger core muscles which are essential for proper posture.

3. Ice Skating Provides Anaerobic benefits:
Several sports scientists contend that ice skating provides benefits similar to that of bodybuilding and induces aerobic benefits in the body. This is because the constant state of contraction prevailing in the muscles during the act of skating replicates the state the muscles exist in while performing bodyweight exercises and light to medium weightlifting exercises.
The muscles involved are- all the muscles of the leg- calf, quadriceps, hamstrings, shins, adductors, abductors, the lower back, the abdomen, the obliques and also the arms due to the continuous to and fro motion.
Due to this, the muscles become stronger, denser and become toned.

4. Ice Skating Improves Flexibility:
Due to the inherent nature of the sport, ice skating requires the skaters to stretch their body continuously to achieve motion and maintain balance. This enables the body to get accustomed gradually to extending beyond its comfort level and ultimately boosts flexibility to a large extent. Enhanced flexibility helps to prevent injuries since the body becomes a lot more resilient due to the constant stretching and contracting motions.

5. Ice Skating Improves Cardiovascular Health:
Ice skating is biomechanically a combination of swimming and running due to the common movements associated with both the sports. On one hand, the legs are in a constant state of motion except for lifting off from the ground, the back is bent down similar to running, and the core, the balancing muscles, and arms exactly mimic the movements observed during swimming. Due to the continuous engagement of these parts, ice skating is considered a great aerobic exercise having more impact than both the aforementioned sports individually.
Therefore, it gives a great workout to the heart and strengthens it, allowing for a stronger cardiovascular system.

6. Ice Skating Builds Endurance:
Any exercise which is performed over a long duration helps to build endurance. But ice skating does a much better job at it than most other forms of exercise solely because it keeps the whole body engaged for a huge amount of time. This helps to build endurance of those muscles individually, which results in much higher gains while indulging in other activities which utilize these muscles individually.

7. Ice Skating Improves Basal Metabolic Rate:
Basal metabolic rate is the amount of calories your body burns while resting. It has been observed that people who indulge in ice skating have a higher basal metabolic rate than those who do not indulge in the sport because ice skating helps to build muscle as well, rather than just burning fat. Muscle, as a rule, burns more calories than fat overall. This means that if the body is developing muscle, then the body ends up burning more calories even when it is dormant.
This is especially important since this means that you can burn calories even while resting if you regularly indulge in ice skating.

8. Ice Skating Improves Motor Coordination:
Regular participation in ice skating requires you to coordinate the movement of your body entirely and force it to move as one unit in cohesion with each part. This triggers the pathways in the brain responsible for this activity and ensures that they stay open for a long duration. This is particularly useful in avoiding injuries and preventing diseases like Parkinsons’ Disease in old age as well.
This means that ice skating is not just great for the body, but for the brain as well!

9. Ice Skating Results in Healthier Joints:
Ice skating can be performed by most people without worrying about joint problems since it is not a high impact exercise. In fact, it actually helps strengthen the joints. This is because ice skating helps strengthen the ligaments and connective tissue around the joints which reduces chances of joint issues cropping up. Also, the constant movement of joints without the massive impact associated with exercises like running and jogging means that the joints produce synovial fluid to keep them lubricated and healthy for a much longer time.

10. Ice Skating Promotes Relief from Stress:
Ice skating is among the very few exercises which are a lot of fun to be a part of and yet, healthy for the body. An hour of time on the ice rink can help you relax and distress after a rough week at work. As we all know, a healthy mind keeps the body healthy as well!

Conclusion:
Not only is ice skating a fun activity and a good hobby, it is great for your health as well. With all the health benefits ice skating provides, you’d better start looking for a frozen lake or an indoor ice rink right now! Check out this link for the Best Ice Hockey Skate Reviews.