Rollerblading vs Walking: Which is Better for Exercise?

Marsh-Harrison

Written by

Marsh Harrison

Godfrey-Rice

FACT-CHECKED BY

Godfrey Rice

rollerblading vs walking

Rollerblading and walking are both fantastic ways to stay active and in shape. But in today’s busy world, you might only have time for one. So, rollerblading vs. walking, which is better? We will help you decide in this comparison blog post here.

To give you an idea of what to expect, here’s a summary of the differences between rollerblading and walking.

  Rollerblading Walking
Burn Calories Burn more calories Burn 90-13o calories less for 30 minutes of exercise
Build Muscles  Calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, hips, glutes, abdominals, biceps, and auxiliary muscles. Calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, hips, glutes, abdominals, and biceps.
Cardiovascular Benefits Excellent for improving heart health Also strengthens your heart, but not as much as rollerblading
Balance & Coordination Harder and more demanding Easier, making the sport more suitable for beginners
Endurance Better for building endurance Does not tire you out as fast, so not very suitable for building endurance
Mental & Emotional Health Relieve stress and boost self-confidence Also relieve stress, and boost self-confidence
Convenience Require a spacious and even surface, so you can’t skate anywhere You can walk almost anywhere, even at home
Safety More likely to cause injuries Almost no risks of causing injuries
Cost Requires investments in rollerblades and protective gears Only require a budget to buy shoes

Walking vs. Rollerblading

1. What are they

 01 Rollerblading

rollerblading-build-muscle

A form of aerobic activity, rollerblading is a sport that requires you to skate around on a pair of roller blades – a form of footwear with 3-5 wheels aligned in a straight line.

 02 Walking

calories-do-you-burn-rollerblading-for-30-minutes

Categorized as a moderate-intensity and low-impact exercise, walking is a cardiovascular physical activity. It involves alternating between one foot to another at a moderate space, as opposed to trotting at a leisurely pace commonly seen in jogging.

2. Burning Calories

Although both activities can help you burn calories, rollerblading is more physically demanding. This is why in half an hour, the number of inline skating calories burned can be 90 to 130 higher than in walking.

Note that walking is not the same as running, which is a more intensive activity. If you compare rollerblading vs running, the latter will burn more calories.

3. Working Muscles

roller-skating-better-than-walking

When walking, you work the muscles in your calves, hamstrings, quadriceps, hips, and glutes, as well as your abdominals and biceps.

Then, does rollerblading build muscle? To answer your question, the muscles used in roller skating are essentially the same as in walking. However, traveling around on rollerblade also helps you work on your extra auxiliary muscle group.

4. Cardiovascular Benefits

rollerblading-vs-running

Both walking and skating offer aerobic and cardiovascular benefits. They can help to strengthen your lungs and heart, which, in turn, does a number of good things for your body.

You can raise your heart rate while going on walks. This gets the blood flowing in your body and reduces blood pressure. Plus, it releases endorphins that boost your energy level and mood.

Similarly, rollerblading can improve your cardiovascular health and counter heart diseases. With regular exercise, your body can also its glucose and cholesterol levels better. However, as rollerblading is a more strenuous activity than walking, it’s also better for strengthening your heart.

5. Balance & Coordination

muscles-used-in-roller-skating

In order to skate, you need to learn how to balance on them and coordinate various body parts to facilitate movement. Hence, you actively build and hone your balance and coordination each time you skate.

In contrast, even though there is balance and coordination involved in standing upright and walking, it is less demanding. Walking also doesn’t require time and effort to master balancing and propelling forward as rollerblading does.

6. Endurance

Though most people will not associate rollerblading and endurance, the sport does help to build it, as energy is used over a period of time. This is especially the case with speed skating or aggressive skating. On the other hand, walking does not do as much for endurance because it is more passive and low-impact.

7. Mental & Emotional Benefits

pros-and-cons-of-roller-skating

Walking and skating can help to relieve stress, and in doing so, leave your mental and emotional health in better shape. As you practice discipline while walking or skating routinely, you will feel a sense of accomplishment, as well. Your esteem and confidence will improve, and in general, you will be better mentally and emotionally.

8. Convenience

Walking is much more convenient than rollerblading, considering that you can walk almost anywhere. If you have a treadmill, you don’t even have to go out to exercise.

But with skating, you’ll need to find spacious and even surfaces, such as skating rinks or parks. Unfortunately, these facilities are only open during certain hours. Even if you skate on the streets, there must be good lighting conditions and fair weather.

9. Safety

There are little to no risks in walking unless you’re walking in a sketchy area. On the other hand, rollerblading can be dangerous, especially for beginners. For example, you can fall over and sustain injuries, such as a broken bone.

10. Cost 

You can walk for free. Apart from shoes, which you probably already have in the first place, you do not need to spend money to walk for exercise.

In contrast, you will need to buy skates and protective gear to rollerblade. These can be quite expensive when stacked against the zero-dollar bill of walking.

If you do not have a budget for exercising, you should choose walking over skating.

11. Pros and Cons

Walking

Pros:

  • Burn more calories
  • Work more muscles than walking
  • Reap aerobic and cardiovascular benefits
  • Strengthen balance, coordination, and endurance
  • Improve mental and emotional health

Cons:

  • Must invest in skates and other protective gear
  • More likely to cause injuries
Walking

Pros:

  • Strengthen muscles
  • Less likely to cause injuries
  • Enhance mental and emotional health
  • More suitable for beginners
  • Does not require investment in protective gears

Cons:

  • Does not strengthen balance, coordination, and endurance as much
  • Burn less calories

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Tips to decide between rollerblading and walking

As both are excellent forms of exercise, it can be hard to decide which one to pick. However, you can think about a few crucial aspects to make an informed decision.

For instance, rollerblading is a better pick if you’re trying to burn as many calories as possible and don’t mind the initial learning curve. This activity also requires a hefty budget for a good pair of footwear and protective gear.

Walking is a better choice for people who need low-impact exercise. While it may not be as good at building endurance, walking doesn’t tire you out as fast, allowing you to exercise for longer. What’s more, as it doesn’t require any specialized skills, this sport is easy and risk-free.

Is roller skating better than walking for exercise?

Rollerskating is better than walking for exercise because it burns more calories in the same span of time while also helping you with balance, coordination, and endurance. However, if you think about other aspects, such as ease, safety, cost, and skills demand, walking might be the winner.

Can you lose weight by rollerblading?

Definitely! Rollerblading is a great way to stay in shape, as it can help you burn calories. You can burn between 420 calories and 622 calories per hour, depending on your current body weight.

Therefore, if you’re looking for some drastic before and after changes, rollerblading would be a better exercise option.

Is rollerblading enough exercise?

Rollerblading is excellent for building and maintaining muscle strength and endurance. It helps with balance and coordination and keeps the lung and heart strong as well. So, skating every day can be enough exercise.

So there’s no need to wonder, “Is rollerblading a good workout?”. Whether you’re rollerblading for weight loss or strengthening your muscle, you absolutely won’t regret picking rollerblading.

How many calories do you burn rollerblading for 30 minutes?

Several factors affect the number of calories burned, including but not limited to: gender, age, and body weight. Assuming you’re male and weigh 200 pounds, then the rollerblade calories burned in 30 minutes would be roughly 320.

Then, how many calories does rollerblading burn for females weighing 170 pounds? In this case, the roller skate calories consumed in half an hour are expected to be around 270.

To get a rough estimate, you can use a calories burned roller skating calculator, which allows you to fill in information about your gender, age, body weight, and form of exercise.

Conclusion

Rollerblading vs walking – which is better? In short, there’s no definite answer, as it all boils down to personal preferences and needs. Some may prefer rollerblading because it burns more calories, whereas others may value walking due to how easy the activity is.

Now that you have read this blog post, tell us what you think! What will you pick up and why? Let us know in the comments below.

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