6 Best Exercises For Skateboarders

Skateboarding is a physically demanding activity, so it’s a good idea to work out and keep your body conditioned to perform better and avoid injuries. In this article, I’m going to share the 6 best exercises for skateboarders that can help you improve your riding.

Skateboarding itself is a great form of exercise and can help improve overall fitness and coordination. But to be able to skateboard requires a certain fitness level which includes:

• strength;
• mobility;
• flexibility;
• balance;
• coordination.

Depending how well you’re physically fit will result in your overall performance, like how fast can you skate, how high can you jump, and how well can you overcome a hit or fall.

What muscle groups should you train?

You should work out smart, and understand that simply doing some exercises won’t necessarily make you a better skateboarder. That’s why skateboarders should focus on developing the following muscle groups, as these are the most engaged during riding:

• Legs: including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles, which are essential for pushing, jumping, and landing tricks.
• Core: including the abdominal and lower back muscles, which are important for maintaining balance and stability while riding.
• Upper Body: including the chest, shoulders, arms, and wrists, which are used for maintaining balance, generating power for tricks, and absorbing impact during landings.
• Hips: for stability and control during riding, especially for technical tricks.

It is important to train these muscle groups on a regular basis and in a balanced manner to reduce the risk of injury and improve overall performance.

NOTE: Stretching and flexibility exercises are also important for maintaining the range of motion and reducing the risk of injury.

Best exercises for skateboarders

To become a better skateboarder, consider incorporating the following exercises into your training routine:

1. Squats: Develops leg strength and stability, essential for landing tricks and maintaining balance on the board;
2. Lunges: Improves balance and strengthens the muscles used in skateboarding movements such as pushing and carving;
3. Push-Ups: Strengthens the upper body and core, which are used for maintaining balance and performing tricks like ollies, flips, spins, and grinds;
4. Plank: Develops core stability, important for controlling the board during tricks execution;
5. Dips: Similar to push-ups, dips work the upper body, specifically the triceps and shoulders, used for controlling the board and generating power for tricks.
6. Stretching: While not, particularly an exercise, but still is a very important part of any workout as it allows to maintain flexibility and reduces the risk of injury, especially in the legs and lower back.

Workout routine for skateboarders

You can use mentioned exercises to create a workout routine and use it in your training. It may look something like this:

1. Warm-up (5-10 minutes): Dynamic stretchings, such as leg swings, lunges, and high knees, to increase flexibility and prepare the body for exercise.
2. Squats (3 sets of 8-12 reps): Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and perform a squat by lowering the hips until the thighs are parallel to the ground.
3. Push-Ups (3 sets of 8-12 reps): Perform push-ups on the floor, keeping the body in a straight line and lowering the chest to the floor.
4. Dips (3 sets of 8-12 reps): Using parallel bars or the edge of a bench, lower the body until the arms form a 90-degree angle and then push back up.
5. Plank (3 sets of 30-60 seconds): Perform a plank by holding the body in a straight line, supported by the forearms and toes, and maintaining a stable position for the duration of the exercise.
6. Lunges (3 sets of 8-12 reps per leg): Step forward with one leg and lower the back knee towards the ground, maintaining balance throughout the movement.
7. Stretching (5-10 minutes): Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds, focusing on the legs, hips, and lower back, which are commonly tight areas for skateboarders.

This is a simple daily routine, that will take you about 30 minutes to complete. This simple routine I composed is just to give you an idea, a starting point to begin with. As you progress and learn more you can integrate and experiment with more exercises to improve specific aspects of your physique.

Here are some examples of different skateboard workout routines:

How often should you workout for skateboarding

The frequency of a workout for a skateboarder depends on several factors such as their current fitness level, the intensity of their skateboarding sessions, and any pre-existing injuries or conditions. However, as a general guideline:

Beginners: 2-3 days a week of strength and conditioning workouts, in addition to regular skateboarding sessions, can help improve overall fitness and reduce the risk of injury.

Intermediate to advanced skateboarders: 3-4 days a week of strength and conditioning workouts, combined with regular skateboarding sessions, can help maintain and improve overall fitness and performance.

NOTE: It’s important to listen to your body and not overdo it, as overtraining can lead to injury and fatigue. Additionally, it’s important to allow for adequate rest and recovery, especially between intense skateboarding sessions or workouts.

What are the benefits of working out for skateboarding

Working out has several benefits for skateboarding, including:

• Improved Strength and Endurance: Regular strength training can help increase muscle strength and endurance, making it easier to perform tricks and skate for longer periods.
• Better Balance and Coordination: Skateboarding requires good balance and coordination, which can be improved through exercises that target these skills.
• Reduced Risk of Injury: Strength training and conditioning can help reduce the risk of injury by improving overall fitness and addressing imbalances in the muscles used in skateboarding.
• Increased Power: Exercises that target the legs, upper body, and core can help generate more power for tricks, making it easier to perform more advanced maneuvers.
• Improved Flexibility: Stretching and flexibility exercises can help maintain the range of motion, reduce the risk of injury, and improve overall performance.

This is especially true for the ones living in regions where it’s not always sunny. By regularly exercising at home on a bad weather day in the offseason (e.g. winter time) you’ll maintain physical activity and confidence.

Conclusion

To re-iterate, incorporating a balanced workout routine into a skateboarding practice can help improve overall fitness, and performance, and reduce the risk of injury, allowing for more enjoyable and sustainable skateboarding.

Also to switch up your workout routine from time to time you can use a balance board. It’s a great way to stay fit and improve balance and coordination. That way you can make your workouts fun and more enjoyable.