Longboarding is the perfect way to stay active without getting bored! If you’re looking for the best total body workout, try longboarding. You’re no doubt aware of the myriad health benefits of longboarding, from staying mentally sharp to building stronger bones and muscles to adding years to your life, but did you know that you can also stay fit on a longboard? Sure, riding more can help, but there are other ways to get in shape while longboarding, too.
It gives you cardio, toning, and balance all in one go! Longboarding is easy on your joints compared to other sports like running or football and its low impact so even those with joint pain can enjoy it as well! Plus, just about anyone can do it – kids can have fun too! In this article we explore the health benefits of longboarding as well as tips to ensure you have fun on your next longboard ride.
Longboarding can give you plenty of health benefits, including strengthening your heart and lungs, improving balance and coordination, and improving your overall cardiovascular fitness. You’ll also be able to strengthen your core muscles with longboarding, meaning you’ll have stronger abs and back muscles, reducing your chances of injury or pain in these areas in the future. If you want to get fit on a longboard, here are some easy-to-implement steps to get you going! We’ll even cover some great longboarding workouts designed specifically to keep you in shape while having fun!
The Low Down on Longboarding
If you are new to the concept of longboarding and have no idea where to begin – let’s start with the basics. A longboard is one of many variations of skateboards. It’s larger, measuring 38 to 40 inches in length and 10 to 14 inches in width. It has a longer wheelbase and wider deck than other boards. The boards have wide trucks that add stability, particularly while going downhill at high speeds. The extra-wide deck provides better stability when performing tricks and during collisions with pedestrians, cars or other obstacles. The health benefits are unmatched making longboarding a hidden gem in the fitness world. When you stand up to paddle, your back muscles contract and expand as you lean forward. These muscles strengthen over time from regular use. As your balance improves, so does your coordination and agility. Paddling regularly can also help improve posture by strengthening your core muscles (abs, back and obliques). Your glutes are also engaged for standing upright for extended periods of time. And these aren’t just empty calories—you can burn up to 500 calories per hour!
Longboarding for Fitness
Like surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding, longboarding requires you to engage several different muscles groups for an overall full-body workout. As with any exercise routine, proper technique is key to avoiding injury and maximizing results. Here’s how we do it! The following 7 exercises are the recipes for success when it comes to longboarding fitness. The best part? The only thing you need is your longboard to engage in any of these workouts.
- Warming Up
Before jumping into an intense longboarding workout, it’s important to warm up your body. Jumping straight onto your board without properly warming up can cause injuries and make you less likely to enjoy your workout. Incorporate a few of these simple warm-up exercises into your next longboarding session to get warmed up and ready for exercise. Remember to stretch out thoroughly after each set!
- The Land Paddle Method
Land paddling is similar to running in that it uses up large muscle groups such as quads, hamstrings and calves. In addition, land paddling engages core muscles in order to stabilize your body as you travel down hills or across flat terrain at high speeds. To perform land paddling, start by standing on your board with both feet together. Lift one foot off of the board and place it back down about 6 inches ahead of where you started (keeping your toes pointed forward). Continue to alternate feet until you reach your desired distance or speed. The Land Paddle is a strength training method that focuses on working all of your muscle groups at once, making it an excellent all-over body workout. It’s particularly good for your core, which is something most longboarding sessions usually don’t help with. The Land Paddle helps you build up to standing on your board, since you can use it without worrying about balance.
- Work the Core
Core strength is essential for maintaining balance during more advanced maneuvers like carving, jumping and spinning tricks. It also helps protect against potential injuries like sprained ankles and low back pain. For a great core workout, try incorporating planks into your routine. Start by lying face down on your board with arms extended out in front of you and legs straight behind you. Hold yourself up using only your hands and toes (this will be challenging!). Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute then rest before repeating 2-3 times total.
- Longboard Planks
With a pushup plank as your base, lower down and then rise back up using only one arm and leg at a time. If you have trouble balancing or holding yourself in place during these movements, try resting your hand on an exercise ball or Bosu ball for added stability.
Remember to switch sides every other rep! Stand upright with feet together and knees
slightly bent (don’t lock them!). Then lift one foot off the ground until it’s in line with your hip.
- Stability Exercises
In order to gain balance and improve core strength, longboarding requires regular practice of stability exercises. Don’t forget to incorporate exercises that focus on strengthening your stability and do these as warm ups before you head out to ride or even just do them during your lunch break when you can’t get out for a full longboarding session. The point is to do them regularly but it doesn’t have to be every day! As with any exercise routine, consistency is key.
- Upper Body Workout
In addition to working your core and legs, longboarding provides a great upper body workout. Push-ups are a common fitness exercise that can be performed using almost any surface. Simply place your hands underneath your shoulders, extend your legs behind you, and lower yourself until you feel tension in your chest. Then push yourself back up to finish one rep. You can also perform reverse push-ups by lowering yourself with hands placed at or behind your head. This will engage your triceps more than traditional push-ups. While standing, try doing a wide variety of arm circles. This is an excellent way to get your heart rate up while working out your arms and shoulders. To do it properly, start by raising both arms out to each side as far as they’ll go without locking them straight out. Keep your elbows bent slightly so you don’t injure them. Next, slowly rotate your arms forward and backward for several reps before switching directions. After completing several rotations forward, switch directions again to complete several rotations backward. Repeat these steps for about two minutes total to work up a good sweat! Another great upper body exercise is called the reach around. Stand upright with good posture while holding onto something sturdy such as a tree branch or railing for support if necessary.
- Lower Body Workout
Whether you’re an experienced skater or just starting out, working lower body exercises into your longboarding routine is an excellent way to tone muscles in your legs, glutes and calves. A fan favorite exercise for all-over toning is ‘The Rocket’. This exercise will get your heart pumping while also providing a good core workout. To do it, stand with feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent and hands at chest level. Lift one foot off ground and extend it behind you until leg is straight (like a kickstand). Bring that foot back down to start position; then repeat with other leg. Repeat 10 times per side. You can also try lunges as another great lower body exercise option!
Keep in mind that there are countless variations when it comes to longboarding; find what works best for your body type and make adjustments as needed.
Lastly, Put Your Best Foot Forward
Like with any sport, footwear is important. You should also make sure that you have proper footwear for longboarding – it’s important to have comfortable shoes that fit well in order to prevent injury while riding. If you don’t own a pair of longboard shoes yet, try skating around in some tennis shoes or running shoes first to see if they work well enough. Then invest in some good longboard shoes once you know what size and style works best for you.
We have enjoyed introducing you to the fun and fitness that is longboarding. As you now can see, while many activities require you to be stationary, longboarding allows you to move your body and have fun at the same time! It’s great exercise, plus you can use it as a way to get to places if you don’t have a car or other vehicle. Now that you know the great benefits of longboarding, it’s time to try yourself and take advantage of the benefits that come with this sport! The fitness benefits of longboarding are unparalleled; a great way to stay active and healthy, land paddle, core workout and more!
