In the last few years, rollerblading, or as some people call it, in-line skating, has become very popular. People basically use it for fun, transportation, and/or exercise. One should not forget though, to take proper precautions by wearing some safety gear.

Rollerblading has become so popular that millions of people use it everyday. These people are of all ages, from children to adult. It is very important that if you rollerblade then you should wear some safety gear. It was said that a couple of years ago, at least one third of all rollerbladers ended up in the hospital. Many people, especially the younger ones who rollerblade, may think that the safety gear looks ugly or uncool, but even the professionals and the top athletes wear them for protection. The rollerblades are in line with the bottom of your feet and even if you are a beginner or one who has been skating for a long time, just rolling over a small rock could make you trip and fall down. Some common sense things to know are, to know your limits and skate within them. Also, when first learning to skate, practice on level surfaces to develop your skills, not on hills. Some good learning areas are rinks, school grounds, empty parking lots, and dead-end streets, but be aware of your surroundings.

If you rollerblade, your safety is the most important thing. It is said that rollerbladers who don't wear any safety gear are ten times more likely to get injuries than those who wear the gears. The most typical injury happens when a person falls with outstretched arms. When this happens it is likely that the person can fracture their arms or legs, and this leads to them getting a caste and possibly surgery. Thus, one should at least wear wrist and elbow pads, but since you’re putting them on you might as well wear a helmet and knee pads

The good side of rollerblading is that it provides the same level of aerobic activity as running, thus it promotes a good cardiovascular training effect. If you are a person who works out and trains all the time, I suggest rollerblading because for me it's just more fun than running or doing some other exercises. I don’t necessarily mean you need to rollerblade around the block a few times just to get a workout. You can always get involved in sports such as roller hockey. About two months ago I saw an ad in the newspaper about classes you can take like the inline skate program that offers beginner training and fitness workout courses. These courses were offered by the University of Hawaii and the downtown YWCA which cost around $50 for each session. I’m not sure if they still offer these courses so if you are interested you might want to call them up first. I have not tried these courses personally, but I have heard that the beginner training course teaches you the basics such as: how to stand; your body position; motions; and how to stop. Don’t forget though, to wear safety gear.

I think the major problem with people and safety gear is that they think nothing severe will happen to them. I’m sure everyone has seen news on television about car crashes and it’s the same thing. I don’t want anything to happen to anyone just because they didn’t realize the importance of their safety.

So in conclusion, as long as you are in rollerblades, you should always wear these safety gear. You might think that you will never get hurt or injured but it could happen. Rollerblading is not as a physical sport as football or ice hockey, but one should use their common sense and wear the safety gear. I don’t think anyone wants to end up in the hospital. It is true that you can still get cuts and bruises by wearing safety gear, but it will decrease your chances of going to the hospital with some kind of major injury.

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