Even thinking of losing weight and getting in better shape can make most people begin to get tired. This is because they envision themselves dressed in sweats and running three and four miles a day, a task that can be exhausting and time consuming, adding to their already busy lives. Few people think of weight loss and better overall health as good motivation to have fun, but that is exactly what it can be.
Almost any activity that does not involve food or a television can lead to weight loss. Whether it is throwing around a Frisbee with friends, playing some basketball, or going on a quick bike ride through the park, people are almost constantly shedding calories. Another way to have fun, lose some weight, and maybe learn a thing or two is by skateboarding.
Skateboarding is often overlooked as an activity for teenagers when in fact it can be a very good way to get in shape, drop some pounds, have a lot of fun and even develop a new hobby. In terms of cardiovascular conditioning, the pushing yourself around on a board, especially over flat terrain or, better still, up a hill, for a half hour, takes a great effort and will build up your stamina. And the benefit of added stamina is one you can reap without even venturing to do tricks and jumps.
This does not mean that doing tricks or jumps will not add anything to the workout; it certainly will. For one thing, doing tricks on ramps requires quite a bit of speed and to attain and maintain that speed, a person must work very hard. Also, many tricks require the skater to squat then stand up or to jump while all of these movements help to add to the cardiovascular workout that skateboarding provides.
Doing tricks on a skateboard adds another element to overall health. For one thing, it increases coordination and timing which, though not necessarily an aspect of fitness, is important for sports. An added benefit is that it increases balance, another very important part of sports.
However, the aspect of fitness that gets the greatest boost from adding tricks to skateboarding is flexibility. Flexibility is an often overlooked aspect of fitness; frequently it is overshadowed by cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength. That does not mean that flexibility is not important; the ability to stretch and to move muscles in many directions and into many positions is important because it determines what exercises your body will allow you to do.
An added benefit of skateboarding to better health is that it is fun and challenging. As you become better at skateboarding, you will learn more tricks, and want to learn even more tricks, and this will keep you skating and will keep you in shape. In other words, the more you skate, the more you will want to skate and the healthier you will be.
All in all, skateboarding is a fun, some would say addictive, way to burn calories, get in shape and stay in shape. It provides flexibility, increases coordination and builds cardiovascular stamina.