IISA Membership Directory Skate Maintenance Glossary Resources Inline skating as a form of exercise is as beneficial as running or cycling, according to Dr. Carl Foster, associate professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin Medical School and coordinator of sports medicine and sports science for the United States Speed Skating Team. A fitness study completed for Rollerblade, Inc. in 1991 measured how inline skating compares as a form of exercise to running or cycling, in terms of caloric expenditure, as well as aerobic and anaerobic benefits. On the average, inline skating at a steady comfortable rate expends 285 calories and produces a heart rate of 148 beats per minute. Running and cycling expend 350 and 360 calories respectively, at a heart rate of 148 beats per minute.
Aerobic tests measure how the heart and the lungs work together.
Inline skating was found to be a better aerobic workout than cycling, but not as good as running. This is because it is easier to coast while cycling than while skating, and impossible to coast while running. Inline skaters can increase their aerobic workout by skating harder or skating uphill. Anaerobic benefits Anaerobic benefits determine how well a workout strengthens and develops muscles. In general, a person who is working out wants to burn fat, not muscle.