Just like bears, many skaters hibernate in the Fall and Winter as the cold air sweeps through and the ice sheets descend.
Despite these inevitable, and sometimes depressing, weather patterns you should not give up hope of donning your roller skates and burning some calories.
In this article, we explain some helpful tips to keep you roller skating throughout the Fall or Winter. Don’t let your enthusiasm waver as these simple tips are easy to follow!
Get Some Layers On
It’s a simple tip. You’re not going to enjoy roller skating if you feel cold. Even on the coldest of days, wearing some extra warm clothes such as a jumper or winter coat can make all the difference.
Protect The Coldest Parts Of Your Body – While jumpers and coats will protect your core body temperature, when skating in the cold your ears, hands and forehead tend to be the body parts that are most vulnerable to the cold.
For your hands, a simple thin pair of gloves will do the trick. There are plenty of options available that won’t break the bank.
A hat, headwrap or earmuffs will protect the ears and forehead against the cold and allow you to roller skate with the reassurance of a warm body.
Be Ready To Skate
One of the downsides of the Fall or Winter is that the days are short, giving you much less daylight to go out and skate.
Our advice is to simply be ready and opportunistic. If the Sun is out and you have some free time, get your skates on.
A good tip is to keep your skate bag easily accessible, either in the car, garage or porch. Then when the time arises you can quickly slip on the skates and tear up the streets.
If you work at an office, you may want to pack a bag with a towel that is quickly accessible during your lunch break.
Look At Indoor Options
During the Fall or Winter months, there are plenty of indoor roller skating options for you to try. Simply Google your nearest roller rink and there should be a few places nearby.
If you’re feeling up for a boogie, roller discos are very popular. Roller discos allow you to combine your love of skating with some cheesy pop music and screaming teenagers.
Roller Hockey
Ever tried roller hockey? Well, this sport runs throughout the Fall and Winter and can be a great option for outdoor skaters wanting to skate and learn a new sport.
There are plenty of amateur and social roller hockey clubs out there for you to try.
Consider Ice Skating…?
While the wheels are replaced with runners, ice skating follows many similar techniques to roller skating, particularly if you are an experienced inline skater.
Particularly around Christmas time, most towns and cities will have a public ice rink available for you to feel festive and have a skate. While it’s not the same, it’s similar enough!
Take A Vacation
While we are in the Fall or Winter, there are always warmer climes somewhere.
If you’re desperately missing the feel of your roller skate wheels on the smooth open road or pavement in the midday sun, simply book a vacation to somewhere hot and pack your skates.
There are also some bespoke skating vacations available if you prefer something more organized.
Avoid Skating On The Ice Or Snow
Roller skating is best on dry surfaces where there is plenty of friction between your skate wheels and the road or pavement surface.
Ice or snow eliminates that friction. With little or no grip, roller skating in these conditions is very dangerous and can cause significant injuries.
We want you to skate as much as possible so do your best to avoid injury by not skating on ice or snow.
Skate In Lit Areas
Although you should always prioritize daylight hours for roller skating, you can happily skate as the early evenings draw in. But we recommend you do this only on well-lit roads and streets.
Skating in well-lit zones protects you, other vehicles and pedestrians. As roller skating can generate high speeds, being visible is especially important.
Wear High-Vis Clothing
In addition to skating in well-lit zones, you can improve your visibility by wearing high-vis clothing to make you extra visible to other vehicles and pedestrians.
Final Words
Hopefully, this brief article has given you some great tips to enable you to roller skate this Fall or Winter safely and enjoyably.
Roller skating is a great indoor and outdoor activity that should not be excluded in the darker and colder months of the year.
Whether it be researching local indoor venues, buying thick winter clothing or looking for skate vacation options there is plenty you can do to keep roller skating. Don’t let anyone get your enthusiasm down!