It is a low impact sport which can be practiced as intensely or easily as desired. You never have to race if you don't want to. It's a lot of fun to just cruise around the rink. Speed skating is a bit like a martial art in that technique is more important than raw muscle strength. Even expert skaters are always improving their technique, so the challenge of speed skating never ends.
Speed skating is like a combination of flying and dancing.
It is an amazing balance of grace and raw power. It is faster than hockey, with much less risk of injury. It can be almost as graceful as figure skating with less complicated dance to learn. Practicing speed skating can help hockey players improve their speed and stroke efficiency. Figure skaters can boost their leg strength and get more power from a more efficient, graceful looking stroke by supplementing their training with speed skating sessions.