We’ve Tried: The Barcelona Inline Skating Survival Guide

Activities, Groups, Sports on December 1, 2009 1:06 pm

Having had one experience of Inline Skating or Roller blading at the park in Clot on concrete three years ago I thought I´d give it another go indoors at http://www.escolapatinatge.com. The surface was not great in Clot so I thought that indoors would be smoother. Also I was hoping for less blisters this time with the more sensible usage of thicker socks!

Is it dangerous?

Well I fell a few times, backwards, with one particularly impressive trip over another beginner who had a distinct lack of direction due to what seemed like an invisible wave or force field pulling himself backwards into my path. I was relaxing during the “train exercise” for the first time in the afternoon (perhaps too much) at the back of the “train” letting myself be pulled along by a few others in my class and was unable to use my newly taught turning skills in time. So no its not dangerous as long as you keep your wits about you and you wear the necessary protection.

The most important ones are the hand, elbow and knee protectors which the school can provide for free. I didn´t bring my blades, so I borrowed some others from the school which were of good quality and fitted well. If you buy cheap blades costing less than 75 euros then they are unlikely to fit well causing a painful blading experience from blisters and more falls due to lack of control. Guess how much I bought my roller blades for?

Also the teacher spent time with us to ensure that we know how to stop, turning to do a circuit and so we could avoid obstacles. Those that were struggling the most with their balance were moved into another group, so know one got left behind. By the end of the session I felt much more in control of my feet than at the beginning.

Is it Good Physical Exercise?

It felt after the hour session as if I had done a hundred lunges in the gym, but without noticing that I was doing them. It’s a great workout for the back and legs. If you need to lose weight you could burn a lot of calories if you roller bladed for 30-45 minutes 3 times a week or simply keep in shape.

Is it Good Therapy?

If you roller blade that often I could see how it could become great therapy to relieve us from our often stressed out lives. This I think is due to the focus on what you are doing (not falling over) and the great fun you are having with the other bladers in the group, with most having a permanent smile on their face. I found it a liberating feeling to be gliding as opposed to walking across the ground. (I enjoyed this feeling a few times and look forward to more prolonged experiences in the future).

Daniel

Also Click Here if you would like to see more photos of the experience my work friends and I had at the Escuela de Patinaje.

Daniel

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