Ice skating is a lower-impact exercise compared to biking and running, but it’s also a full-body workout that can be totes tiring. And the same goes for skateboarding, roller skating, and inline skating. Skating, like running, uses pretty much every muscle of the body. Naturally, these muscles get tired after some time working out.
But the main reason skating is so tiring is that it puts your muscles and focus to work in a way that other sports don’t. Aside from that, you have to maintain a specific posture and keep your body balanced. And if your skating form and technique aren’t good, you’ll get exhausted sooner than you expect.
6 Reasons Skating is so Tiring
Also Read: Skating When It’s Oven-hot Outdoors
If you’re a beginner who’s been practicing over the past few weeks, you’ve learned that skating is harder than most other kinds of exercise.
Depending on any number of factors relating to your skating situation, you’ll experience exhaustion anywhere past 20 minutes of non-stop skating.
But fatigue when skating happens to all of us. It happens to complete beginners as well as to seasoned skaters, even to Olympian figure skaters. And here’s why skating feels like a tough chore, especially to beginners.
1. Bad Form and Technique
If you asked any skating trainer to tell you the #1 reason skating tires so much, they’d say bad form and technique.
If your skating form or stance isn’t proper, you won’t skate efficiently. You’ll expend way more energy to achieve similar results to someone who’s mastered form and technique.
Your muscles will work extra harder to compensate for your bad technique and form. And you’ll soon start feeling the “burn” and soreness.
For example, if you bend at the hips and not the knees, you’ll skate upright. And your chest will lean too far forward. Result? You’ll experience fatigue in the lower back after some time.
2. Training Too Hard or Too Intensely
Everyone says to keep going even when you’re feeling tired and probably should take a water or snack break.
Naturally, if you glide for a good 30 minutes without pausing at all, you’ll definitely get tired.
Our bodies aren’t built to keep working out forever. Even the finest figure skaters on the planet rest, so rest each time your body needs it.
Allow your muscles enough time to relax and recover. And you’ll tire less in the end as opposed to skating continuously.
3. Not Fueling Up
I’m a confirmed foodie, and I make sure to wolf down a decent meal before a skating session.
Skating takes tons of energy from your body. If you don’t eat before the session or stop to refuel during play, you’ll get tired sooner than you imagine.
Make sure to eat before heading out to the rink. And if you can’t for whatever reason do this, be sure to carry food that’s rich in carbs and protein.
Carbs energize your muscles while proteins do a whole lot of good to torn muscles.
4. Skating When It’s Hot
I previously wrote a post about whether it’s OK to skate when it’s hot. And I said you can skate all you want and can but within certain limits.
Skating in the heat not only causes serious water loss but can also cause you to feel dizzy and tired. The overall workout tends to be harder than it normally is, and you almost always feel more tired than usual.
I’m strongly against the idea of riding skates in extremely hot weather. But if you must do it, I explain how to do it right in the link above.
5. Your Are Too Heavy
Nothing wrong about being a little heavier than most skaters. But if you’re being big and bulky starts getting in the way making you tire sooner, you’re in pretty bad shape.
You may want to combine your skating
with other activities that help you lose some weight. I promise you that you’ll feel less exhausted once you lose a few extra pounds.
6. Your Skates Are Too Heavy
Are you petite and recently started roller skating, ice skating, or rollerblading and have been getting tired sooner than you expected?
Well, the issue could be a bad skating posture or skates that are too heavy. The same can be said of kids who say they’re tired after skating for a short period of time.
Roller skates with metal plates and plastic stock wheels and rollerblades with aluminum frames tend to be heavier than skates with plastic plates and frames.
Weight isn’t a factor most people choosing their first skate think much about. But if your skates are like two solid bricks strapped onto your feet, you’ll get tired in no time.
Final Word On Why Skating is So Exacting
While skating is a low-impact activity, it can be pretty tiring. Especially if your skating form and technique aren’t great, you have heart skates, it’s hot, didn’t eat beforehand, or you’re too intense.
The reverse is also true: if you get your posture right, eat before play, wear skates that aren’t too heavy, avoid extremely hot weather, and don’t go too hard, you’ll be fine. You won’t be extremely tired and sore in the end.
But no, I’m not saying that skating of any kind will ever be effortless. I mean, what would be the point of it then? You’ll always have to expend a decent amount of strength and energy skating. But you really don’t to tire yourself to the point of extreme exhaustion and ultimately, quitting.
