Longboarding is a hobby that has become a great past time and hobby for me and my family. When my children were first learning to ride their bikes, I started learning how to longboard so that I could keep up without having to run beside them. Since then, longboarding has become a way for us to bond and have fun while also getting exercise. As a father, I tend to take on my child’s interests as my own hobbies and become a little bit obsessive about research and helping my child have a good experience. That’s how I became knowledgeable about the health benefits of longboarding and how it can work a lot of different muscles in your body. In this article, I’ll share my personal experience and expertise on the muscles that longboarding works and how you can get the most out of your longboarding workout.
Muscles Worked During Longboarding
Longboarding is a great form of exercise that provides a full-body workout. Each component of longboarding engages different muscle groups, making it an effective way to strengthen and tone your body. These largely include the posterior chain and the calves.
Let’s take a closer look at the different components of Longboarding and the muscles they work:
Pushing
The pushing motion is the most basic movement in Longboarding, and it primarily targets the posterior chain, which includes the glutes, hamstrings, low back muscles, and calves. The glutes are one of the largest muscle groups in the body and play a crucial role in the pushing motion. When you “push”, your glutes contract to extend your hip bringing your foot from in front of your body to behind, propelling you forward on the board. The hamstrings also work during the motion to extend the hip and flex the knee, while the calves contract to point the toes and provide additional power to the push.
Squatting
Squatting is an essential movement in Longboarding that engages the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core. When you squat down, your quads and glutes work to lower your body, and your hamstrings contract to stabilize your knees. A squat is involved each time you propel yourself forward, even in the lowest of boards. On higher boards such as surf skates, you squat more. As you rise back up, your glutes and quads work together to extend your hips and knees, and your core engages to maintain balance and stability on the board.
Carving
Carving is the side-to-side movement that Longboarding is known for, and it targets the legs, core, and upper body. When you carve, your legs work to shift your weight from one side of the board to the other, engaging your quads, hamstrings, and calves. Your core also plays a crucial role in carving by stabilizing your body and maintaining balance on the board. Additionally, carving engages the upper body, including the chest, shoulders, and arms, as you use your arms to initiate turns and maintain control of the board. You do mini crucnches and work the obliques as you contract and extend your body.
Braking
Braking is an essential component of Longboarding, and it engages the quads, hamstrings, and calves. When you brake skateboard manual style (lifting the front of the board), you use your back foot to press down on the tail of the board, which creates friction between the wheels and the ground, slowing you down. This motion engages the quads and hamstrings to stabilize your knees and extend your hips, while the calves contract to help control the speed of the board.
When you brake by placing one foot on the ground to increase friction, you engage the squatting and core stabilizing muscles again.
Upper Body
Although the lower body muscles are primarily used during longboarding, the upper body muscles also play a role in maintaining balance and control. The muscles of the upper body include the chest, shoulders, and back.
When pushing, the chest and shoulders are used to generate force and maintain balance. The back muscles, including the erector spinae and latissimus dorsi, help stabilize the spine and maintain an upright posture.
Longboarding engages multiple muscle groups and provides a full-body workout. By incorporating longboarding into your exercise routine, you can strengthen and tone your body while enjoying the great outdoors. In the next section, we’ll discuss how longboarding can help you burn fat and achieve your fitness goals.
Benefits of Longboarding
Longboarding offers several benefits beyond being a fun activity. Another page I wrote details how longboarding is a great cardiovascular workout that can help burn fat and improve muscle tone. It can also improve balance, coordination, and overall body strength.
Moreover, longboarding is a low-impact exercise that is less stressful on the joints than other high-impact exercises, such as running. This makes it a great exercise option for people who are recovering from injuries or who have joint pain.
How Longboarding Can Help Children Develop
Aside from being a fun family activity, longboarding can also benefit children’s development. Here are some ways that longboarding can help children:
Improves Balance and Coordination
Longboarding requires balance and coordination, and regular practice can help children improve these skills. When children balance on the board, they learn to adjust their weight and maintain stability, which can translate to improved balance and coordination in other areas of their life.
My children progressed from three-wheeled scooters, to foldable and then stunt scooters, and now consistently longboard to school.
Builds Confidence
Learning new skills and overcoming challenges can help children build confidence. Longboarding provides opportunities for children to set goals, practice, and master new skills, which can boost their self-esteem and confidence.
Being able to confidently hang with and keep up with their peers doing similar activities is great.
Provides a Sense of Achievement
Similar to building confidence, longboarding can provide children with a sense of achievement. As they progress in their skills and are able to ride for longer distances or perform tricks, they can feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in their abilities.
Promotes Exercise and Outdoor Play
Longboarding is an enjoyable way for children to get exercise and enjoy the outdoors. Rather than being cooped up indoors playing video games, longboarding can encourage children to be active and appreciate nature.
Fosters Family Bonding
Longboarding can also provide opportunities for family bonding. Parents and children can ride together, learn new skills, and share experiences, creating lasting memories and strengthening family relationships.
Incorporating longboarding into a child’s life can have positive impacts on their development, both physically and emotionally. By promoting exercise, confidence, and family bonding, longboarding can be a healthy and enjoyable activity for children of all ages.
Conclusion
In conclusion, longboarding is a full-body exercise that engages various muscles throughout the body, including the legs, glutes, core, chest, shoulders, and back. It offers several health benefits, including improving balance, coordination, cardiovascular health, and muscle tone. Whether you’re looking to improve your fitness or just have fun, longboarding is an excellent activity that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and fitness levels.