Rollerblading can cause injuries if not protected with gear says Houston personal trainer Melissa as well as her suggestions of places to rollerblade in HOUSTON Texas

Cross Train with ROllerblades to keep low impact workouts effective in Houston says Houston and The Woodlands personal trainer Melissa Editorial by Melissa Workouts with Rollerblades can work the lateral movement muscles of the legs which helps them look toned and helps eliminate body fat. (If rollerblading is not practical, a slide board can be used as well )Houston and The Woodlands Personal Trainer Melissa has enjoyed roller blading for years and likes cross training with Rollerblades because it is low impact (as long as a person stays upright on the skates and does not fall lol) and it protects the knees from overuse that happens often with running but still offers a good workout with cardio benefits as well. Melissa skates low and fast and skates where there is lot of room to move from side to side and wears a low volume music headset for a faster pace. She has a water bottle strap that hooks her water bottle to her waist and caries a small pack for the music. When skating on smooth ground, she also does leg hyper extensions (sort of like an arabesque) and does leg curls as well with one leg at a time for sets of fifteen or twenty per leg. She also does ground touches..similar to a squat except skating. These workouts are more of an endurance activity because she keeps the intensity lower but stays out for an hour and a half, which is why she carries water and even a package of crackers and a phone in case of an emergency. For new skaters, it is helpful to borrow a friends baby jogger and hold on to it to help with balance. Falling is NOT fun. Falling can be expensive too if a person ends up in the hospital and when Houston personal trainer was in the hospital getting her arm repaired, she saw a kid there who had fallen twice and broke both arms.! A great place to skate is the paved path all around cypresswood park on cypresswood drive near Steubner Airline in north Houston. Skating around the Memorial park near the Galleria or up at The Woodlands on the Trails or even in the parking lots of Klein High School or area churches  in Spring after school hours can provide excellent places to get a skating workout. Another great place is the drive that is four lane entrance into North gate forest off 1960 as there is not a lot of traffic.Rollerblading workout can be painful if not wearing protective gear. Melissa found that out the hard way recently when I fell while rollerblading on the streets of Houston.. "As a certified Houston personal trainer, I regularly use protective gear because I do Rollerblade workouts  constantly and wear the kneepads, and wrist guards to keep myself safe. I have broken my wrist once jumping over speed bumps so I know how it feels to get hurt. WELL, in spite of it all, I fell again during a skating workout in Spring when going fast over some gravel and landed on the ONE place that was not padded, My elbow!" "Yes it was horrible to look at with the arm all bent backwards. Very scary but I started praying and then I became calm, knowing that even though I seemed to be all alone and in trouble, I actually was constantly being protected. I am grateful to say I only had a dislocated elbow (bone went through the skin though eww) and according to the orthopedic doctor in Tomball, it had no tendon or ligament injury. It healed rapidly and I was already able to type after it had only been three days! And I am sticking to my conviction that drugs are not necessary when you have a spiritual side to keep you safe and grounded (haha no pun intended). Roller blading Houston is a great activity but every piece of the protective gear should be worn every time. Memorial Park has a great place for roller blading around the loop. There is a place to park your car and skaters and cyclists go one way around this loop along with cars but there are very few cars. It is also fun to Rollerblade at North gate neighborhood just north of 1960  near Champions because it is a large two lane entrance to the neighborhood and has very lite traffic and great pavement for roller blading. There is good roller blading through the new section of Wimbledon Neighborhood and off Cypress wood Drive as these roads are nicely paved and there is a sidewalk for avoiding periods of heavy traffic on Cypresswood drive.The boardwalk on Galveston beach is also a roller blading spot but it has some really rough patches and large sidewalk cracks to avoid as well. The Venice beach roller blading path along the beach in California is a FAVORITE place to Rollerblade and the only thing to watch for is the sand that can make skates slide. (This photo was taken of Houston's sexy personal trainer

Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 July 2011 05:28