| Whether you are a professional ice skater, a toddler, a | | | | Ice skating also improves muscle tone. When ice |
| retiree, a student, or a housewife, you can get health | | | | skating, the quadriceps and hamstrings are the leg |
| benefits from ice skating. | | | | muscles which do the most work, but many other |
| Being in itself an aerobic exercise just like walking, | | | | muscles in the body work in concert with these leg |
| running, and swimming, it offers positive effects for | | | | muscles. The abdominal and back muscles also need |
| your cardiovascular health. An advantage over running | | | | to contract and relax in order to maintain an upright |
| is that it is not as hard on your joints, as it is a | | | | posture and balance. |
| low-impact exercise, unless you do jumps while ice | | | | Mental fitness is also enhanced with ice skating, as it |
| skating. It makes heart muscles healthy, providing | | | | exercises ones mental control during the act. One |
| significant protection from coronary artery diseases | | | | needs to be very alert and aware during skating. It is a |
| and subsequent heart attacks. It also aids in weight | | | | de-stressor and a form of relaxation for many |
| loss, as one gets to burn 250 to 810 calories per hour | | | | individuals who use it as a means to break free from |
| with recreational ice skating, according to the U.S. | | | | the stresses of life and work. The fresh air and |
| Figure Skating Association webpage. Meanwhile, | | | | sunshine in outdoor ice skating, as well as the |
| competitive skating uses up more calories, at 450 to | | | | company of family and friends, greatly help in |
| 1,080 per hour of skating. Just to illustrate, a 68-kg man | | | | unwinding from a long week of work and problems. |
| skating continuously for an hour burns as much | | | | Self confidence is definitely improved as well. The |
| calories as when he is running five miles in an hour. | | | | challenge of establishing full body control and balance |
| As with other sports activities, ice skating also | | | | brings pride when one is able to overcome these. |
| improves ones endurance. Endurance builds when one | | | | It is very nice to see that adults are becoming more |
| maintains a constant, steady pace, over a longer | | | | aware of their health, and that many have turned to |
| period of time. It is important though that at the start, it | | | | ice skating to become physically fit. Gone are the days |
| is all right to settle for short distances, but over time, | | | | when only children were interested in moving and |
| these have to be increased gradually so that | | | | gliding on ice. |
| endurance increases as well. | | | | |