How many of you think longboarding is a cool thing? I myself have watched several video clips on social media on crazy cruising skills. (And yeah, also some deadly accidents). Anything related to speed gives us an adrenaline rush, right? Remember the scene from The Secret Life of Walter Mitty from where Mitty longboarded downhill in Iceland? Trust me, longboarding in Iceland becomes your life goal right then and there if you are a longboarder! You feel like “that’s the thing that’s gonna make feel me alive”. But, yeah, it needs a lot of practice and passion if you are going to do so. I know what you are thinking. Yes, this is the era where we do both our job and socializing sitting all day in front of smart devices. And that’s why we keep searching for how many calories we can burn even while walking! We try to look for benefits in every single movement and nutrition values in every food. We seek for both amusement and exercise in our activities. So, buckle up. We are going to check what score ‘Longboarding’ can earn as a good exercise in this write-up. But keep in mind. It is a 100% outdoor activity.
What Are The Perks?
Calorie Counting: the usual calorie-burning rate is 3.5 to 7 per minute. Some studies show 4 to 7 calories per minute. So, you can shred 420 calories in an hour maximum. That’s a pretty good burning.
Cut those extra fats: well, if your doctor is warning you that you need to cut some fat from your body for your wellbeing, then grab a chair, ask your doctor for the number you need to lose. Then, take a pen and paper and calculate how many calories you need to burn every week. You can surely give longboarding a shot.
Bring Pliability to your body: we all love when we see flexibility in our bodies. Skating, surfing, longboarding – all these activities need lots of energy and rigorous right-left, forward-backward movements. Your body will be needing to move as per the path and situation. It needs flexibility while doing these activities. With a stiff body, you will not be able to go further and it will tire your mind eventually. Everyday practice will bring your desired flexibility. And it will find it super satisfyingly flexible after a while with continuous and long-time practice. Trust me, one cannot overlook your body pliability after continuous days after days of longboarding.
Earn good stamina: before you longboard like a water wave, you keep continue doing it every day. It takes a good amount of effort and energy. Slowly but surely it increases your stamina. It needs force when speed up. That needs more energy. And your muscles get stronger.
A good way to get a grip on your focus: Longboarding is really a tough stunt. Due to speed and movements, you have to stay focused on your path, be careful on movements, and balancing them together while longboarding. That ‘when to switch your legs’ brings a good coordination skill in your body. It actually increases your focusing ability.
Build your Muscle: daily spending 30 to 45 minutes for longboarding makes several muscles working on simultaneously. Your triceps, biceps, deltoids, trapezius, rectus abdominis, latissimus dorsi, and obliques work altogether. These muscles get stronger and become in shape gradually. Most importantly, your legs get into action. They become amazingly yet subtly stronger.
Helps you stay healthy: daily spending half an hour doing this maneuver keeps your heart active and healthy. It keeps your mental health good.
What Type of Exercise Is It?
Checking all those perks above, we can say it is indeed a good exercise. How good it can be? That is totally up to you. I mean it depends on how regularly and how long you do it. You will find that some say it is cardio while some say it is anaerobic. Well, I will say it is a good aerobic since it uses oxygen to fuel the muscles. Whatever it is, in my opinion, it does not matter. If you keep doing this for your joy, then only focus on your enjoyment. If you are focused on keeping yourself fit in a fun way, then you know already how it burns every minute. Do your calculation. But it will benefit you only if you warm up your body right before longboarding.
How to Carry Your Longboard?
Some people will take their longboards in the evening, step outside their homes and start boarding. And come back direct home after half an hour or later. But what about in case you are using it as transportation? What if you are going to school? Or to your friend’s place? Or to get your job done somewhere? I mean when you are not using the board but you have to carry it. So you are going to need something like a longboard holder or techniques to attach the board with your backpack, right? Let’s see what we can have:
- Attaching Through Cord: you can take a lanyard or para-cord. Then simply wrap around the backpack straps and tie a knot tightly so that it makes a big loop. Then put the board in the circle. Hang wheels with cord. It is a cheap, quick, and easy technique. Especially when you are carrying a backpack already.
- Deck Hook Can be another Option: this is a gear to attach the longboard with a two-strap backpack. Some of them can be used as a wall hook. So, you can hang your longboard on the wall with it! But do not forget to check the quality and good-finishing of straps before you buy a deck hook. And also, get ready for slight bouncing and dangling while walking with it. If this dangling feels annoying, then you probably should not go for this option.
- Go for a Longboard sling: if you travel light, then it might be the best option. It is just a sling! It’s only job is to hold a longboard. And it is perfect for the job. It is absolutely hassle-free and easy to carry. You can diagonally carry it on your shoulder or just shoulder-carry. Whatever the board size you have, this longboard holder is great to go. Even an electric heavy longboard would not bother you! BUT, keep in mind that it is very efficient when you are carrying only the board. It holds only the board. For additional carry along with the longboard, this is absolutely an option.
- Get A longboard carrying bag: if you are not already carrying a backpack, then my go-to recommendation is to buy a bag to carry the board. Also, rainy weather can ruin your board. Before buying check the space inside first. Most of them have standard space. Still, check if the space is enough for your board. You will find different types of bags in the market to carry your board. Since you will be carrying it on your shoulder or through holding it (which is quite tough if you are not strong enough), it is important to check the adjustability and supportability of the strap.
There are some bags in which you can easily carry two or three longboards. Some come with1 (one) or 2 (two) boards plus your safety accessories carrying facility. For your daily carrying, I suppose a helmet and kneepads are essentials for your own safety. So, it is better to buy a bag which has space for these too. Usually, these bags have straps inside to hold the board tight. Otherwise, you will not be able to move comfortably. Some bags can be open from the top side and some can be traditionally from the sides. You will find pads inside these bags so that your board stays safe. Inner materials of bags will vary. But I would say just check the outer material also. Check if it is waterproof or not.
Some bags can be oversized and if you are taking a flight, then check what sizes are allowed. Otherwise, you are going to pay an extra amount. There are several brands in the market.
Conclusion:
I find longboarding is really another level of amusement. In the USA you cannot longboard on the street. But that does not mean you are forbidden to longboard totally. We have tried to bring some amazing sides of this activity along with some helpful sides to you. We thought shading some light on the longboard holder might come in handy to you through this article. But if you are a beginner, please start under the supervision of a trainer. And whether you are a pro or beginner, please use a helmet and kneepads. I also recommend a hoodie. Happy longboarding!