Skateboarding is a sport that was initially created as an evolution of surfing. It began as an alternative for athletes who wanted to surf on days when there were no waves, so they took on the task of building small surfboards but with skate wheels and thus, achieving a similar style in their neighborhood streets or on the roads.
Skateboarding was so popular in the United States that, during the 2000s, there were more young people under 18 years old with a skateboard than playing baseball. Incredible! Some schools started to implement skateboarding-related topics in their sports programs, as they realized the multiple benefits that this exciting activity brings to the human being. There were many reasons, ranging from physical, social, and even psychological. That is why, here at Longboards USA, we will show you 5 reasons to practice Skateboarding.
- It’s fun: According to psychological studies, skateboarding improves respect among young people and helps them connect socially with others thanks to the good mood for the sport. The combination of speed, hanging out with friends, performing some tricks, and getting outdoors to enjoy the city is the perfect complement that will give you an amazing sense of satisfaction, so take your board and have fun!
- Relieve the stress: If you sometimes feel stressed, a skateboarding activity can be a good solution and strategy! The feeling of possessing your feet on the skateboard, overcoming challenges, surpassing yourself, and conquering difficult moves make the skater feel adventurous and excited; releasing neurotransmitters such as endorphin and serotonin. All of this will help your mind become more positive. It will also boost your self-esteem and self-confidence. Riding a board will make you happier! What are you waiting for to give it a try?
- It helps you lose weight: Skateboarding requires riders to use their energy to jump, push, spin, flip, pirouette, etc. That is why most people who practice it, usually look slim and athletic. All this, among other things, is thanks to this wonderful sport, which, according to calculations, the average amount of energy burned in 1 hour is 100 to 500 calories.
- Improve your coordination: Coordination is maybe the skill you need the most to stand out in this sport. Skateboarding requires excellent coordination between your arms, legs, feet, and eyes. However, this is something you will improve over time. The longer you skate, the faster your coordination will improve; as you do a trick, it doesn’t work, you try again adjusting the position of your feet or the way you land, until BOOM! You get it. These small changes, make your body, little by little, become more coordinated, and therefore your quality as a skater is unmatched.
- Improves balance: Regular practice of this sport improves balance as muscles and bones become stronger, thanks to the different positions and exercises that are not normally performed in daily activities. So over time, your physical condition will improve in every way!
Skateboarding today is one of the most popular sports, not only in the United States, but in the world, and is practiced by people of all ages. However, for it to reach such a dimension, different changes had to appear that helped its evolution. For example, the Kicktail
Do you know what Kicktail is? Well, it turns out that some people who practiced this sport in the 90s realized that by raising the tips of the skateboard upwards; that is, by tilting the tail and the nose, they could increase the height of some tricks like ollies with much better balance and safety.
Kicktail, then, is nothing more than the upward bent tips of the boards, which is considered vital for a skateboard. It is important that if you want to start practicing this sport, you know the parts of a board and why they were created. This will help your brain gain confidence and make your learning go more smoothly. Some Longboards, which are just another type of skateboard that is usually longer than a conventional board and has a variety of shapes, also have a kicktail on the tail part to get some tricks.
Thanks to all these changes and the benefits of skateboarding, little by little it became one of the kings of sports on the streets and ramps around the world. So much so that today it is a very complete Olympic sport and ideal for improving balance and coordination, among other things. What are you waiting for to practice it? Start slowly, at your own pace, and increase the difficulty of your tricks gradually. Now, the most important thing is to have the right board and the best accessories so you can ride in the best way, visit our Longboards USA website and discover all the products we have available for you!