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Is rollerblading low impact on knees?

Author

Emily Sparks

Published Jan 08, 2026

The best exercise for bad knees is rollerblading since it is low impact and doesn't strain your knee joints. Besides, it's fun to indulge in and helps keep the body relaxed, excited and improves self-confidence. Rollerblading also strengthens knee muscles and helps to keep knee injuries away.

Is rollerblading good for the knees?

For those looking to exercise regularly but suffering from chronic joint pain, roller skating may be an excellent option to consider. Compared to more mainstream forms of exercise like running or jogging, roller skating is a great alternative, as it provides the same aerobic benefits while causing less joint pain.

Is rollerblading bad for the knees?

Better aerobic exercise – Rollerblading puts less pressure on your knees and joints in comparison to other aerobic exercises like jogging or running. As per research by the Medicine Science in Sports Exercise in the year 1997, rollerblading puts less impact than running and accounts for lower joint or muscle injuries.

Is rollerblading better for knees than running?

By eliminating the foot strike on every stride, Rollerblading is generally safer on your joints than running. In fact, Rollerblading provides about 50 percent less impact to the joints when compared to running, according to the University of Massachusetts.

Is roller skating low impact on knees?

Its low impact nature makes it gentler on your joints than other intense forms of exercise. Plus, if you're practicing some tricks or skills, it can even improve your flexibility and mind-body connection. Roller skating burns about the same number of calories as group cycling or a moderate effort on the rowing machine.

39 related questions found

How do you strengthen your knees for skating?

Knee Strengthening

  1. March in place (30 seconds)
  2. Lunges (15 reps each side)
  3. Lateral lunges (15 reps each side)
  4. Skater squats (15 reps)
  5. Step ups (15 reps)
  6. Prone hamstring curls (15 reps each side)
  7. Russian hamstring curls (10 reps)
  8. Calf raises (15 reps)

Is roller skating easy on joints?

Easy on the Joints

Roller skating is a great way to get moving without risking further injury to your joints. It's a smooth motion compared to running, jumping, and other high-impact activities.

Is walking or rollerblading better?

Brisk walk = 222 calories. That's almost 100 calories more, or about 40% more calories burned while rollerblading over the same time period. Over two hours you'd burn 356 calories more.

Is biking or rollerblading a better workout?

The main difference between Rollerblading vs. Biking is in the number of calories burned. While Rollerblading burns between 573 and 1069 calories per hour, Biking on the other hand burns between 300 and 400 calories per hour.

How effective is rollerblading for exercise?

One of the biggest benefits of cardio exercise is that it burns calories. According to Harvard Health Publishing, rollerblading burns between 210 and 311 calories per 30 minutes, depending on your body weight. If you're rollerblading to lose weight, then the number of calories you burn matter.

What muscles are worked when rollerblading?

What Muscles Does RollerBlading Work?

  • Glutes. The glutes consist of the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. ...
  • Quadriceps. The quadriceps sit on the front of the thighs and they consist of the rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralis and vastus intermedius. ...
  • Hamstrings. ...
  • Abdominals.

Is rollerblading good for weight loss?

Calories Burned

Rollerblading is one of the most efficient cardiovascular activities you can do in terms of burning the most calories per unit of time. A 155-lb. person will burn about 260 calories in 30 minutes of rollerblading. If you're larger, you'll burn more calories, and if you're smaller, you'll burn less.

Is rollerblading bad for your back?

Rollerblading can be bad for your lower back when you use the wrong rollerblading posture, or when your back muscles are yet to get used to rollerblading, or when you over skate or when you have a medical condition like cancer of the spinal cord, ruptured disc, sciatica, and arthritis.

What are the benefits of rollerblading?

Here are some benefits of rollerblading that you must know:

  • Builds Muscle Endurance. Rollerblading actively involves different muscle groups of your legs and core. ...
  • Helps Manage Weight. ...
  • Improves Balance. ...
  • Boosts Heart Health. ...
  • Tones Arms and Legs. ...
  • Helps Defeat Diabetes. ...
  • Improves Mood. ...
  • Improve Joint Strength.

How good is rollerblading for you?

“Rollerblading qualifies as cardio, and low-impact cardio at that,” Pedemonte says. “Anyone new to working out, getting back into the swing of things, or with pre-existing muscle or joint issues can benefit from the easier movements allowed by rollerblading while still improving your heart health and muscle endurance.”

How many calories does rollerblading burn?

A person burns 550-700 calories per hour rollerblading at a recreational pace and 1000-1350 calories rollerblading at maximal effort.

Can you rollerblade on a treadmill?

You can rollerblade on a treadmill, there is no reason to deny it. If you are comfortable with rollerblades, you should be comfortable on treadmills as well. Using specialized treadmills for rollerblading is recommended. This will ensure your safety and the most favorable rollerblading experience.

Is roller skating as good as running?

You burn nearly as many calories on skates as you do running (for a 125-pound person, that's 210 calories inline skating for 30 minutes versus 240 calories running 12-minute miles for the same duration, according to Harvard Health Publications).

How fast does the average person rollerblade?

Average Speeds

According to a study conducted by Rollerblade, people tend to inline skate at cruising speeds that vary from about 8 miles per hour to about 16 miles per hour. If you're on the slow end of that spectrum, you should be able to skate 1 mile in about seven minutes and 30 seconds.

Does skating affect knees?

Knee Injuries in ice skating

On-ice knee injuries are divided into those directly affecting the knee, and indirect injuries, where the knee pain occurs secondarily to other problems. The repetitive knee-flexion motion most likely causes conditions such as patellar tendonitis and general anterior knee pain syndromes.

Is roller skating harder than rollerblading?

From experience and research, roller skating is a little harder than rollerblading. This makes rollerblading easy to learn for complete beginners because rollerblades have a longer wheelbase for stability, have inline wheels for maneuverability and feature a heel brake for safe stopping.

Is roller skating better than rollerblading?

Rollerblades are better for longer distances because you go faster. You can go long distances too on roller skates, of course, but you may struggle to keep up. Roller skates might be easier for very young children, and feel more stable initially, but counter-intuitively blades can be easier to learn how to skate well.

Why do my knees hurt after skateboarding?

Tendonitis and sprains — Tendonitis and sprains in the feet, ankles, and knees are common due to overuse and pressure placed on the feet while skateboarding. There is usually localized pain, swelling, and stiffness. A sprain will occur suddenly while tendonitis often develops over time.

Why do my knees hurt after ice skating?

Improper warm-ups and cool-downs can aggravate the condition as well. However, the most common reason skaters get PFPS is due to inadequate lower body and core strength. Improving strength in your quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteals and core muscles is the first step in preventing PFPS.