On a Roll.

Inline skating is no longer a new phenomenon. Most people today can say that they have at least one friend who packs a pair of skates, or have seen a skater whizzing by on the street or at the park, if they themselves have not already. Many have read reports or watched news clips on aggressive or stunt skaters, the evolving inline hockey league, or speed skating. Whatever the source of exposure, inline skating has penetrated the recreation, fitness, and athletic industry with a momentum largely unsurpassed in the last decade. And it's still growing.

From the modest beginnings of Rollerblade Inc., in 1984, the inline skating industry has grown to encompass more than 30 million participants (as of 1997) and several hundred companies. According to the International Inline Skating Association, inline skating participation has increased 850 percent since 1989 and was the fastest growing sport in the United States in 1996.

Although this rate declined slightly in '97, the sport itself continues to spread and diversify. Manufacturers offer an increasing range of specialized skates including inline hockey, speed, aggressive, and skates designed specifically for women and fitness skaters. Likewise, attention has turned toward the development of an off-road skate for the more daring enthusiast.

Inline skating's break onto the fitness and recreation scene can be seen most effectively in its demographics. Participation between men and women is split almost down the middle, with male skaters accounting for 54 percent of the skating population. And while inline skating has long been regarded predominantly as a youth sport, IISA cited 25- to 34-year-olds as the fastest-growing segment of skaters in 1995, and predicted a dramatic increase in participants over the age of 45 by the turn of the century.

What could possibly appeal to such a broad spectrum of people? How could one activity, within the course of a decade, reach so many individuals?

The answer is simple: Inline skating is not merely one activity; it encompasses a wide range of recreational, fitness, and competitive opportunities. Originating as an off-season training method for ice-hockey players, inline skating now comprises inline hockey and basketball leagues, speed skating and racing, aggressive or stunt skating, inline dancing, inline soccer, and individual or social recreation and fitness skating.

"People use the words fitness and freedom a lot when it comes to skating," says IISA Executive Director Kalinda Mathis. "It's fun. It doesn't feel like a workout. It doesn't feel like a job. It's good for the body and mind."

Inline skating allows the individual to choose and gravitate among several activities depending upon personal interest or goals. Inline skating gets people outside, alone or with family and friends. It is accessible, requiring no special facilities, and relatively inexpensive, requiring no membership fees or dues. Compared to many other sports such as bicycling, roller skating, and most contact sports, inline skating has a low injury rate. Most injuries could be prevented with proper safety gear, particularly helmets and wrist guards.

The selling points of inline skating are many, but perhaps the most salient benefit -- and the one that goes hand in hand with all the others -- is that inline skating is healthy. Young or old, male or female, skating provides an excellent cardiovascular workout, targets key muscle groups throughout the body, and is low-impact.

Because skating requires a certain amount of strength in the knees for balance, anyone with prior injuries should consult a doctor before rolling out the door. But overall, skating is easier on the joints than jogging and many other aerobic exercises. Yet, as Mathis states, it does not feel like a workout.

A study conducted by Dr. Carl Foster, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin and coordinator of sports medicine and sports science for the U.S. Speed Skating team, examined and compared the effects of four different workouts upon 11 volunteers. Foster tested the oxygen uptake and heart and blood rates of the participants while they jogged, cycled, skated steadily for 30 minutes, and skated incrementally.

The results show that skating at a steady pace for 30 minutes burned 285 calories and induced a heart rate of 148 beats per minute, while interval skating burned 450 calories. In interval skating, the skater alternates between one minute skating in a tuck position and one minute skating upright. Running and cycling each induced a heart rate of 148 beats per minute, but cycling burned 360 calories, edging out running's 350.

The study also reached several conclusions regarding the aerobic benefits of each activity. Foster's team determined that inline skating constituted a more effective aerobic workout than cycling (since cyclists tend to glide), while running worked the heart and lungs better than skating. However, skaters can increase the aerobic benefits of their outings by skating harder or on hilly terrain.

Anaerobic tests, which measure body strength and muscle development, deemed inline skating more beneficial than running and cycling. Inline skating naturally builds hip and thigh muscles, which running and cycling do not. Skating especially targets the hamstring muscles, neglected by cycling, and works muscles in the upper arms and shoulders.

"Skating builds the hip and thigh muscles, buttocks, and upper legs. It works the abductor and adductor muscles - or inner and outer thighs -- which can be a particular trouble spot for women," Mathis says. "Skating at a lower stance works the legs and hips even more, and the more you use your arms, the better aerobic workout you get. Either way, you get both strength and cardio. These adjustments just increase one or the other."

In addition to physical fitness benefits, inline skating, and aerobic exercise in general, tends to induce more positive energy overall. According to Liz Miller's guide for inline skaters, Get Rolling: The Beginner's Guide to In-Line Skating, during aerobic exercise the body releases certain chemicals called endorphins. Miller dubs the endorphin high "one of the best all-natural stress-reduction therapies around."

Inline skating can be part of an enjoyable and efficient workout routine. While all inline skating activities promote physical benefit and recreational diversion, 25 to 30 minutes of incremental skating and skating on hilly paths burns calories and really works the body. Moreover, the IISA recommends supplementing such inline exercise with further muscle training -- the abdomen, lower back, buttocks, thighs, calves, and upper body -- for total body fitness.

"I started out as a competitive ice skater, so inline skating was a natural transition for me. But I've stuck with it for the fitness," Mathis states. "I would recommend inline skating to anyone, especially to adults between 30 and 50 who are looking for some sort of exercise they can do outside or with family and friends. It feels good, it's easy, and there's no need to join a gym. Also, it's low-impact -- easier on the knees and ankles than something like jogging -- for older participants or people with a previous injury."

Mathis and file IISA strongly encourage potential skaters to seek a lesson. Not only does instruction guarantee a safer skating experience, it may also enhance a skater's performance. And the safer and stronger an individual skates, the more benefits -- recreational and fitness -- he or she enjoys.

Photographs and statistics provided by the International Inline Skating Association.

RESOURCES

Fedel, Frank and, Suzanne Nottingham. 1997. Fitness In-Line Skating. Champaign, Ill.: Human Kinetics.

International Inline Skating Association. 1997 Inline Skating Resource Guide. 1997. Wilmington, N.C.

Miller, Liz. 1998. Get Rolling: The Beginner's Guide to In-Line Skating. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Powell, Mark, and John Svensson. 1993. Inline Skating: The Skills for Fun and Fitness on Wheels. Champaign, Ill.: Human Kinetics.

MAGAZINES

Daily Bread 280 Highland Road Laguna Beach, CA 92651 [phone]

Fitness & Speed Skating Times 2401 N.E. 15th Terrace Pompano Beach, FL 33064-6941 [phone] Fax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]

Inline: The Skate Magazine P.O. Box 527 Mt. Morris, IL 61054 [phone] Fax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail] Web site: www.inlinemagazine.com

Inline Inc. (Publisher of Inline Retailer, Inline, and Box) 2025 Pearl Street Boulder, CO 80302 [phone] Web site: www.inlinemagazine.com

Skate City Press 603 West 11th Street, Suite 7E New York, NY 10025 E-mail: [e-mail]

Web site: www.skatecity.com/press/

Roller Hockey Magazine 12327 Santa Monica Boulevard Suite 202 Los Angeles, CA 90025 [phone] Fax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail] Web site: www.rhockey.com

Skatermag 01993 811181 Fax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail] Web site: www.demon.co.uldnbcs/ skatermag.html

ORGANIZATIONS

Aggressive Skaters Association (ASA) 171 Pier Avenue Suite 247 Santa Monica, CA 90405 [phone] Fax: [phone]

International Inline Skating Association (IISA) 201 North Front Street Suite 306 Wilmington, NC 28401 [phone] Fax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail] Web site: www.iisa.org

National Inline Basketball League (NIBBL) 135 Rivington Street #3F New York, NY 10002 (888) GO-NIBBL Fax: [phone] Web site: www.nibbl.com

National In-Line Racing Association (NIRA) 4708 E. 4th Place Tulsa, OK 74112 [phone] Fax: [phone]

Roller Hockey International 5182 Katella Avenue Suite 106 Los Alamitos, CA 90720 [phone] Fax: [phone]

USA Hockey Inline 4965 North 30th Street Colorado Springs, CO 80919 [phone] Web site: www.usahockey.com/inline

USA Inline Racing P.O. Box 162055 Altamonte Springs, FL 32716 [phone] Web site: www.usainline.org

1995 SKATE SALES BY CATEGORY

Type of skating   % of sales

Recreational        65
Fitness             21
Roller Hockey        8.5
Aggressive           5
Racing                .5

*Source: Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association 

1996 AGE PARTICIPATION

               % of
Age        participants

Under 14       44.7
14-17          13.7
18-24          11.0
25-35          16.0
36-44          10.1
65+             0.6

*Source: National Sporting Goods Association

SAFETY GEAR AND REPORTED INJURIES

(Based upon 161 injured skaters)

Gear worn at       Injured
time of injury     skaters

Wrist pads           33
Elbow pads           28
Knee pads            45
Helmet               20
All of the above      7
None                 46

*Source: National Electronic Injury Surveillance System

According to the International Inline Skating Association, inline skating participation has increased more than 600 percent since 1989. And it's still growing. Freelance writer Christina Dendy takes a look at the sport's successful break onto the fitness and recreation scene (p. 152).3