Top 5 Health Benefits of Ice Skating – If you’re after a sport that works practically every muscle group in your body, look no further than ice skating. With winter now here, use the season as the perfect chance to get outdoors and to a local ice rink. While you’ll have endless hours of fun, you may not realize all the health benefits you can gain too. Here are just some of the ways ice skating benefits your mind and body.

Improves Balance

For those after an activity that helps with balance, ice skating may be the answer. This sport can boost your balance both through positive and fun exercise. When hitting the ice rink for the first time, you may be fearful of the slippery surface. However, as you turn from newbie to pro, you’ll quickly get trained up on how to stay firmly on your feet. Maintaining good balance is beneficial in all aspects of your life, such as reducing your injury risk.

Boosts Joint Flexibility

If you get up out of bed in the morning and hear your leg joints creak, ice skating could provide a real solution to your problems. This sport has a focus on strong knees and quick foot movements, meaning your leg joints will get a fantastic and worthwhile workout. Once you get used to ice skating, you should notice a boost in your joint flexibility. Whatever your age, looking after your knees and joints is a must, especially if you have arthritis.

Builds Leg Muscles

When you ice skate, you’ll be concentrating on lower-body movement. This means that, over time, the sport can be a brilliant exercise for your leg muscles. As you get used to skating on the rink, you will start toning and building your leg muscles. This helps to keep your body balanced and will improve your full-body muscle growth.

Great Calorie Burner

If we’re really honest with ourselves, we could all do with losing a pound or two. To stay in great shape and maintain your weight, sports like ice skating may be the answer. This is because, once you enter the rink and get skating, you’ll be on your way to burning calories, while having tons of fun in the process. In fact, in a one-hour ice skating session, you can burn up to 650 calories! However, this will depend on how hard you skate. For those who aren’t keen on going to the gym, doing a fun activity like ice skating can be just as worthwhile.

Reduces Stress

Regular exercise like ice skating can be useful in combatting the effects of stress. If you’re always under pressure and need a release, this sport can take away any worries and fears you have. Once you’ve bought your figure skates, light jacket, and gloves, you’ll be ready to hit the rink and see your stress levels decline.

As shown, ice skating has proven health benefits for both your mind and body. There are considerable social benefits linked with the sport too, since you can spend hour after hour circling the rink with both family and friends.