How to Use Skateboarding for Weight Loss

The term "weight loss" can inspire fear in some people. Visions of boring, tiresome treadmills and sweatpants might flash into some minds. Consider instead having fun, learning a new skill and losing weight all at the same time. If practiced correctly, skateboarding can lead to weight loss and improved cardiovascular health. You don't even have to do any special tricks to get a good workout from skateboarding. Try using your skateboard as a mode of transportation; just a few hours of skateboarding a week can help you shed pounds.

Instructions

    • 1

      Take safety precautions. Especially when you're just beginning, always wear a helmet when you're skateboarding. Wear long sleeves and pants to protect your skin from scrapes and cuts.

    • 2

      Start slow if you've never skateboarded before. Practice in your driveway or on flat, paved terrain. Stick to quiet residential streets for your first few trips out on the board.

    • 3

      Once you feel comfortable, start making short trips around the neighborhood. Skateboard to the bank, the post office or to a friend's house. If you integrate the skateboard into your life, you're much more likely to stick with the habit long-term.

    • 4

      Skateboard at least five times a week. If you use your skateboard as an alternate mode of transportation, this should be easy. Make sure you do it for at least 45 minutes on the days that you skateboard. Depending on your weight, you'll burn a different amount of calories while you're out on your board. If you weigh 165 pounds, for example, skateboarding for an hour each day will help you lose almost a pound a week without changing your diet.

    • 5

      Speed up. The faster you skate, the more calories you burn since you'll have to work harder to propel yourself. A 200-pound person who skating at 8 mph will burn 470 calories in one hour. If he speeds up to 14 mph, he can burn 1,000 calories in one hour.

    • 6

      Change your eating habits. If you cut your caloric intake by just a few hundred calories per day, you'll speed up your weight loss results significantly.