Rollerblades vs roller skates which is the better one? The answer to this depends on many factors. Before purchasing a roller skate or rollerblades many people ask this question. This is to check the suitability.
The suitability depends from person to person. Your age, motive, experience is some things that will help you decide which one suit you best.
This article will give you insight on the following areas. Rollerblades vs roller skates which one is better, which is better for exercise, which one is more difficult etc.
What are Rollerblades and Roller skates?
Rollerblades
Rollerblades are a type of skates that are used for inline skating. This is different to roller skates as they have two rear wheels and two front wheels. But rollerblades have 2 to 5 lines arranged in a line.
Most rollerblades come with a brake block or rubber stop attached either to both or one of the rears. This is there to help the skater to come to a halt or to slow down the speed. These types of skates were made as a substitute to ice skates to use it on solid ground.
Roller Skates
Roller skates also known as quad skates are a type of shoes with wheels attached to them. They have four wheels in total, two in the front and two in the back. If you haven’t seen roller skates just imagine ice skates with wheels on them.
These skates have a rubber brake located in the front of the shoe. This makes halting quite easy. Most kids prefer using roller skates over rollerblades because of its large footprint. This makes the user feel much confident when using them.
This type of skates is known as the “original roller skates” and is quite popular. Advanced skaters as well as beginner skaters use roller skaters alike. They are the perfect match for children, skilled roller skaters and developed skaters.
Because of its design, roller skates have become a leading type of skates. To use roller skates you don’t need experience or training because it’s easy to use. Also, you don’t need training to learn how to stop, increase speed or even turn it is that simple.
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Rollerblades vs Roller Skates- Difference
Rollerblades
» 5 wheels in one row
» Easy to balance
» Stopper is located near the heel and is rectangular
» Can achieve high speed
» Used in running trails and bike paths
Roller Skates
» Four wheels in two rows
» Difficult to balance
» Stopper is located at the front of the shoe and is round
» Not as fast as rollerblades
» Used in roller rinks, skate parks and sidewalks.
Rollerblades vs Roller Skates
Many people ask the question is roller skating harder than rollerblading. The answer to this is that many people think roller skates are easier to learn. But in reality adults and children find rollerblades to be easier.
Even though roller skates have much more stability, the plate of the roller skate is quite short. The length of it is only from the toe to the heel. Because of this the chances of you falling forward or backward is high. Also, there is a high chance of wheel clipping.
Because of this, it is important that you learn to roller-skate with your legs apart. This is quite difficult to do, especially for children.
But the rollerblades have longer frames. This extends past the heels and past the toes. Because of this there is a less chance of clipping and it makes it much more stable.
So if you’re wondering roller skates or roller blades for a 7 year old the answer is rollerblades.
Rollerblades vs Roller Skates- which one is easier to stop?
Most rollerblades have a high ankle. This helps to support the ankle; it also has a heel brake (you can install this if it already isn’t). So making a rollerblade stop is quite easy.
All you have to do is extend the foot with the brake toward the sky. Once you do this the heel brake pad makes contact with the ground which makes it stop. But some quad skates don’t have this option. But instead they have toe stops located at the front of the boot.
You can use a toe stop to stop the skates by just dragging one foot behind. Yes this can be a bit difficult than the ankle brake.
Roller skates vs Rollerblades for Exercise
For skating you need to use your body movement a lot. When you roller skate most of your body parts move except for your hips.
But when it comes to roller blading your hips move too under the speedy movements. This is because rollerblading helps us to balance lapses in the body with the movement of the hips.
If your goal is a much more flexible workout with balanced four wheels, then choose roller skates. If you want an adventurous skate then choose rollerblades.
Roller Skates for Exercise
Cross training exercise– when you roller skate it seems a lot like you are jogging. And the movements of your body are similar to jogging as well. Because of this skating will give you the results of jogging. But it will do this while adding fun and variation to your routine.
Skating is also a great option for injured runner because of its zero-impact nature. This is because skating decreases the impact of the exercise on the damaged joints.
Improves endurance and strengthens heart- roller skating is an effective aerobic exercise. This helps to improve muscle strength and endurance. And it also strengthens the heart.
With roller skates you can enhance your workout. You can do this by adding hills to your route. This will make it more challenging whilst improving fitness and endurance.
Arms and legs- roller skating strengthens many muscles in your body at the same time. While maintaining with your arms it creates power in your legs.
And your core makes sure that you get a full body workout. It is also stated in some researches that when you roller skate it burns 500- 700 calories per hour. But if you jog you burn only 400 calories per hour.
Rollerblading for exercise
Rollerblading is a low impact cardio exercise. This means that it is low load or low weight bearing. This indicates that it does not put any pressure on your joints.
It also strengthens the muscles and heart, improves sleep and burns calories. It also improves appetite and avoids chronic diseases. This includes chronic diseases such as heart attacks and diabetes.
Rollerblading similar to roller skating also works out your core. This includes your abdomen lower back hips, and pelvis. When you have a strong core it will be much easier for you to do physical activities.
You can increase the intensity of the exercise by skating at a brisk pace. It is recommended that you bend your knees, lower your upper body and stride and not coasting. Also, rollerblading burns 210 to 311 calories per 30 minutes.
Rollerblades vs Roller Skates for Outdoors
Outdoor skates look different in comparison to indoor skates. This is mainly because of the differences in the wheels. If your aim is to skate outdoors then you must have taller and softer wheels.
Because of this most skaters who skate outdoors tend to use rollerblades. You can also use roller skates for outdoor skating if you have the proper setup. But “off the shelf” models cannot handle the outdoors.
This is because they tend to have hard wheels and are wider. Also, they have a bigger foot print or surface area. Whereas, rollerblades are made to withstand the outdoor terrains. This is because of their soft wheels that help to grip rough landscapes.
Also, rollerblades help the user to go fast and allows more speed in comparison to roller skates. This is one main goal of outdoor skaters because of the rough terrains they come across. Having good speed and low impact when going on terrains while maintaining speed is a benefit.
It does not matter if you’re skating on a pavement or dirt, if you’re an outdoor skater rollerblades is recommended. As this is beneficial as it helps you to deal with different types of surfaces that you come across.
So if you’re wondering roller skates or rollerblades for outside its rollerblades!
Conclusion
Said in short, rollerblades and roller skates are both good options. But the question as to what suit you best depends on what purpose you’re using it for.
If you want to buy a pair of skates to spend your leisure time, roller skates are a good option. In a case where you want to buy it for exercise both are great options. If you want to do outdoor skating there is rough terrains so rollerblades are the best option.
But if you’re a beginner you might tend to think that roller skates are easier to use than rollerblades. This is probably because of the wheels. Since roller skates have for wheels on either side makes it look easier to use.
But the truth is once you try using both you will feel that rollerblading is easier than roller skating. Because roller blades have much more wheels than roller skates and can go fast.
If you come across a rough terrain the chances of you tripping is low. This is because of the soft wheels of the rollerblades.
So if you’re stuck as to which suits you best think of the purpose and you will have the answer.
