It feels great to see kids and teenagers doing all sorts of skating tricks in a skate park.
But is roller skating really something that you can learn by yourself?
Irrespective of the age, every individual can learn roller skating by themselves. Getting a pair of rollerskates and safety gear, and learning to balance properly are the first steps towards learning roller skating. However, it requires ample practice before you do gliding or other tricks like a professional. Dedication and sheer will to keep practicing are all it takes to learn roller skating.
Today, you’ll get valuable insights into how to learn roller skating by yourself in this article.
Also, you’ll get to know about the equipment that will help you master this sport.
So, let’s start.
Step by step Guide to Learn Skating by Yourself
If you want to learn roller skating without any help from a friend or an instructor, start with the basics.
Here, we have compiled some of the major pointers to help you learn this sport. Check them all.
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Step 1: Begin With The Right Pieces of Skating Equipment
To learn roller skating, you’ll need a pair of good-quality roller skates (well, that’s obvious!).
Make sure that the skating shoes fit you comfortably. If not, you will be unable to maintain a proper balance on the skates.
Also, it can lead to painful blisters on your feet.
Next, you’ll need a few safety gears. It’s crucial because you’re a newbie, let’s face it. There’s no doubt that you’ll fall several times while learning roller skating for the first time.
So, safety gears are a MUST!
Add knee pads and helmets to your list of safety gear.
Also, wearing elbow pads and gloves is crucial for learning roller skating.
Not only will these safety gears protect you from injuries, but they will also reduce learning time by enabling you to practice longer.
Below is a table representing some essential skating equipment that you’ll need to proceed to the next stage of learning roller skating.
Skating Equipment | Product Example | Specification |
Roller Skates | BTFL Pro Roller Skates for Women & Men | Height adjustable stoppersVery soft leather |
Knee Pads, Elbow Pads | JBM Knee Pads Elbow Pads Wrist Guards 3 in 1 For Kids & Adults | Soft EVA padded materialAdjustable elastic straps |
Helmets | OutdoorMaster Skateboard Cycling Helmet | Extra removable liningDurable and adjustable |
Gloves | Seibertron S.O.L.A.G Multi-function Sports Gloves | Faux leather materialHook and loop closure |
Step 2: Learn To Balance Properly
Once you get the equipment, you’ll have to learn how to balance properly while wearing the roller skates. This is not so easy, especially if you’re practicing on inline skates.
To avoid falls and injuries, start practicing on grass or a carpet as they have higher traction than the surfaces on skating parks.
It won’t let you move automatically and alleviate your fear of falling to some extent.
To balance properly, you must bend your knees and lean a bit forward. You’ll have to make sure your body is half squatting.
Meanwhile, keep your feet at your shoulder-width distance apart. Most importantly, keep your body relaxed.
Then, slowly yet steadily, move forward one step at a time. Try to retain this posture to avoid losing balance.
This should feel comfortable once you practice it for a few days.
Once you start feeling confident in your balance, proceed to the next stage of learning.
Step 3: Learn Gliding
The next step in learning roller skating is practicing gliding. Here, you’ll have to find flat and smooth ground for practice.
As mentioned earlier, bend your knees, lean a bit forward, and get into the correct position.
Now, extend your legs while staying low and use a sideways motion to push back.
When one of your skates is gliding, make sure you bring the other skate close behind the one that’s gliding.
Now, push this other skate just like the way you did with the previous one.
Repeat these steps to keep gliding. This is all it takes to learn gliding.
You may notice that you’re not moving during your first collective pushes. That’s normal as it can happen due to your incorrect pushing motion.
Like walking, if you try to push backward, you won’t see yourself moving at all.
So, it’s essential to always push sideways. To achieve a fluid gliding motion, you must move your body weight to the leg you’re using to push.
When gliding, it’s best to maintain your balance on a single skate. At first, you may face difficulty keeping this balance for long, but practice will make things perfect.
If you still face difficulty, it would be great to practice gliding beside a rail to have something to hold on to.
With practice, you’ll develop speed naturally. Once you become comfortable and confident doing gliding with roller skates, you can boost your fluidity and speed of gliding.
Step 4: Learning The Breaking Process
Once you learn gliding, you’ll have to move on to learn the breaking process. If you see pro videos or experts on skate parks, you’ll see them using multiple methods for breaking.
You’ll need a new pair of roller skates with rubber brakes on its toe to learn to brake.
Using the toe brake to stop your roller skates is an easy option. You’ll have to be in the squatting position while extending your foot to break.
It’s imperative to hold your body weight on a single skate at this moment.
Then, apply pressure on the toe you’re using to break with. Keep applying pressure and drag until you stop moving.
The more intense the pressure, the faster the skates will stop.
However, you can always try other methods to apply brakes. For instance, you can spread the legs wide apart while pushing down on the roller skates.
Then apply more pressure by bending your knees to a sitting position.
You’ll stop once you move the toes a bit inwards.
Step 5: Learning How To Take Turns
When roller skating on roads and streets, you’ll have to turn at one point or the other. To take a turn, shift your body weight to the side where you want to go.
For instance, if you want to take a right turn, shift your weight to the right foot while keeping your eyes in that direction.
Place the left foot in front of the right one.
Do it in a crossing motion. Once you take the turn, place the left foot back into its original position.
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Get Ready to Learn Roller Skating Yourself
While learning roller skating, don’t get demotivated if you face challenges and difficulties. It happens to almost all beginners.
However, you can learn roller skating more quickly with a few expert tips.
Check them all.
- Do warm-up by jogging or stretching a little before skating. This will ensure efficient practice sessions and prevent you from injuries.
- Give some rest to your body if you feel tired or in pain. Not taking rest will carry the risk of injuries.
- You shouldn’t rush and give time to your learning process. Not everyone can learn at great speed; understand that.
- Always prioritize your safety first and wear all the essential safety gear for roller skating.
- Always check your roller skates and make sure they’re in good condition. Keep them on a close watch to see if they have any defects. Always clean the bearings and lubricate them.
- As a beginner, you must avoid downhill skating. Applying brakes during a downhill roll requires a lot of practice and effort.
- Remember to keep your eyes on the road and don’t get distracted. You must be focused and have a trained vision.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Hard Is It To Learn Roller Skating?
The level of difficulty to learn roller difficulty depends on the learner. The more your determination and the more you keep practicing, the faster you’ll be able to learn balancing on skates.
The faster you learn to balance, the faster you’ll learn roller skating. While some may take a week, others may take a month or two.
Can I Learn Roller Skating At The Age of 40?
Yes, you can learn roller skating at any age. This is a fun and enjoyable sport for people of all age groups.
If you dig up the internet, you’ll find a lot of inspirational people doing roller skating in their 40s, 50s, and even 60s.
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Final Thoughts
We hope this guide will act as the best resource and help you embark on the journey of self-learning.
Roller skating is an excellent sport that anyone can learn at any age. It all depends on your determination to learn and practice.
The more you practice, the faster you learn, and the better you get at this sport.
So, grab your pair of roller skates and start practicing today! We wish you all the luck!