Home Decorating Ideas - Fitness is a Family Commitment

(ARA) - Time is our most valued commodity in today’s multi-tasking, fast paced society. With these changes in our social landscape, exercise has taken a back seat and is no longer a priority with today’s families. Aside from the excellent health benefits of exercise, it can also be a major bonding activity for parents and children. As the old saying goes, the family that plays together stays together!

According to research by the Discovery Health Channel, 50 percent of children do not get enough exercise to develop healthy heart and lung systems. Furthermore, 98 percent have at least one heart disease risk and 20 to 30 percent are already obese.

Adults are in even worse shape with 64 percent not getting enough exercise to maintain healthy heart and lung systems, 24 percent never exercise, and more than 35 percent are overweight.

“Parents and children should talk about the importance of exercise,” says Dr. Karen Wolfe, MBBS, M.A., a renowned health and fitness trainer, author, and speaker. “Parents should help children realize that exercise can help them meet life goals such as happiness, popularity, and longevity.”

Outdoor recreation is one of the best ways for a family to bond while creating healthy habits that last a lifetime. Spring is now upon us and the warmer weather and abundance of daylight makes it easy to enjoy the beautiful outdoors while getting a great workout.

In-line skating is one activity that is great to keep your family fit and is also fun. In-line skating continues strong growth in popularity as people discover the health benefits of skating. Inline skating burns as many calories as running and is easier on the joints too.

“A person weighing 150 pounds can burn nearly 360 calories in a 30-minute in-line skating workout, which roughly equals the calories burned in a similar running workout,” says Nicholas Skally, of Rollerblade USA. “An added benefit is that in-line skating produces less than half the impact shock to joints that running does.”

In-line skating, like any sport, has basic elements that need to be learned. Once you've purchased a pair of in-line skates, it's important that you take the time to learn how to operate them properly and safely, so that you can enjoy the benefits of the sport.

Keep the following tips in mind to help you get started:

1. Practice, Practice

Learn a few important skating skills on grass or carpet to get used to the feel of your in-line skates before you step onto the pavement: Walk around with both toes pointed slightly outward -- that is how you'll push off once you're rolling on the pavement.

2. Take a lesson

The best way to start in-line skating is to take a lesson with an instructor. Many shops that carry in-line skates offer instructional clinics, or a friend who skates may be able to teach you.

3. Protect Yourself

You wouldn't play football without a helmet and padding (ouch!), and you shouldn’t in-line skate without wearing a helmet, wrist guards, and knee and elbow pads. Wrist guards can prevent the most frequent in-line skating injury: breaking or hyper-extending a wrist. Knee and elbow pads help protect those areas and also help prevent injuries by allowing you to slide forward when landing on the pavement. Wearing full protective gear will greatly decrease the chances that you'll get injured while in-line skating and will give you more confidence.

4. Balance

Progress to the pavement and practice your balance before you start rolling: stand with your feet even and about four-to-six inches apart, arms slightly in front of yourself and knees bent so your shins touch the tongue of your skates. Your weight should be balanced on the balls of your feet. A common mistake beginners make is standing up straight with their knees locked or balancing their weight on their heels.

5. Skate Alert

Avoid hills and declines when you're starting out. You can build up speed on even a slight decline, so you should feel confident in your braking ability before you head for the hills. Find a flat surface that's free of debris or cracks, such as an empty parking lot, tennis court or basketball court.

6. Skate Maintenance

Check your owner's manual for information on rotating wheels and care of bearings, or have your skates tuned up at a service center in a local sporting goods store. Remember, skating in water or sand can damage bearings and hurt skate performance. Stick to dry pavement.

For more information on the fitness benefits of skating, tips for beginning skaters, or the new line of fitness and recreation skates by Rollerblade, Inc., visit: www.rollerblade.com. For a Rollerblade, Inc. dealer in your area, call (800) 232- ROLL or visit the "dealer finder" on the Rollerblade web site.

Courtesy of ARA Content