Whether you’ve never tried rollerblading or just consider yourself a fair weather blader, you could probably use a refresher course. Antonia Court goes to skate school and reports back

Forget those scooter things – the hip wheels to sport these days are in-line skates. After a year or two out of the fray, in-line skating is becoming seriously cool again. You only have to take a look around parks and along promenades to see how many people get their skates out at the first sight of sun. Rumour has it that Kylie perked up her bum through skating and that Gabrielle swears by her skates for staying fit.

Last summer saw the launch of the Betty Blade, London’s version of the weekly mega-blade held in Paris, New York and Amsterdam where hundreds of people take to the streets on blades for a 12-mile skate-a-thon. This spring, Reebok are launching their own programme, called Skate Reebok, which is the world’s first in-line skating fitness and safety class.

‘Skating is a great cardiovascular workout, as it uses loads of energy and really gets your heart pumping,’ says Skate Reebok trainer Steve Barrett who’s based in Bath. ‘On top of that, you have to work to keep your balance, so you strengthen your core stabiliser muscles, which are responsible for giving you a flat stomach and helping keep your back strong.’ In-line skating is also brilliant for toning your lower body, especially your thighs and buttocks.

It may look as though skating is about simply gliding along without much effort, but by varying your speed and adding in new techniques you can burn as many calories as you do running. ‘That can be up to 500 calories an hour, if you’re really pushing yourself,’ notes Barrett.

Although the benefits of in-line skating can give your physique a makeover, the perks go way beyond a streamlined body shape. Skating improves your balance, which means you’ll be more agile when doing day-to-day activities. Plus, blading once or twice a week adds variety to your exercise programme, which helps you stay motivated to work out regularly.

The Skate Reebok programme, which provides all these perks, is based primarily on safety and skill. ‘It involves a series of exercises that improve balance, agility, power and endurance, and tones your quads, buttocks and abs – all the muscles that are used in skating,’ says Steve. Each exercise is based on a tiny element of the complete skating motion, so, as well as toning and strengthening muscles, you’ll improve overall skating technique and confidence.

‘All basic skating skills, such as stopping, controlling speed and even falling safely are taught in a flat, traffic-free area, such as a tennis court or car park,’ says Steve. ‘Only when class members have mastered these do we move out into larger areas, such as a park.’

A typical Skate Reebok class involves going through the exercises, which include squats, stopping and lunges on skates for about the first twenty minutes. After that, you’ll head out for a 20-30 minute skate before finishing with stretches. Classes can be held for individuals and for groups and costs vary according to region, but you’ll pay around £25 for a one-on-one lesson or £4 to £5 if you’re in a group class.

Here are some samples of basic exercises you might learn in skate school:

1. Basic skating posture: Keep your knees slightly bent, your ankles flexed forwards and your hands in front of you, as though you’re pushing a shopping trolley. Keep your eyes upwards and look forward. Start moving slowly by taking a few small steps forward. At first you may feel as if you’re waddling like a duck, but stick with it. Once you’re comfortable stepping, start gently pushing your foot out to the side with each step. After a a few practice steps, your movements should turn into more of a glide. If at any time you feel you’re losing your balance, steady yourself by bending your knees even more and placing your hands on your thighs. Pretty soon, you’ll be gliding almost effortlessly.

2. Stopping: This basic stop will work, no matter how fast you’re going. Roll along on both skates with your knees bent and your feet about four to six inches apart. Then, keeping your knees bent and your body weight forwards, gently shift most of your weight onto your non-braking foot and slide your braking foot as far forward as possible (most skates have a brake on only one foot, usually the right one). At this point, your leg should be straight and your toe pointed with the wheels of the skate on the ground. Then, lift the braking toe so that the heel brake makes contact with the ground, and bend deeper into a squat so that you’re pressing your weight onto your braking heel. The most important thing is not to lean backwards or panic. Just remember, the faster you’re going the longer it will take you to stop.
   3. Swizzle: This move is excellent for strengthening your buttocks and quads. Once you’re off to a comfortable glide, get into a squat position with your hands out in front of you as if you’re steering a car. Then, slowly push both feet out to the sides so that your legs move widely, then pull your feet back together and resume squat position. As you become more confident, make this swizzle a continual motion of legs together, legs apart, legs back together, and hold the squat for 2 seconds to intensify the move.

      Once you have mastered the swizzle, you can try the half swizzle, a more advanced version of the move. From a squatting position, keep your left skate straight and move your right foot out in a swizzle motion. Do this several times, working the right foot, and notice that you’ll be turning in a tiny circle, so you’ll need to lean into the circle. To help stabilise yourself, hold your arms out and rounded in front of you like you are hugging a tree. Then, switch legs.

   4. Falling: The safest way to fall is to drop forwards onto your hands and knees, which is why you need padding (knee, elbow and wrist pads are essential). It’s important to practise falling so that when the real thing happens, you’ll know exactly what to do. Practise by starting in a standing position, then bend forward at the waist as if you’ve lost your balance. Reach forward towards the ground, bend your knees and fall first onto your knee pads then on to your wrist guards so you’re on all fours. Don’t slide your arms out in front of you as your chin may hit the ground. If you feel yourself falling backwards instead, reach out in front of you to try and change the direction of your fall. If you do fall backwards, try to roll with the fall to lessen the impact, rather than stopping the fall with your hands.

   As with any workout, it’s essential to cool down afterwards for five to 10 minutes. Make sure you stretch all the major muscles in your legs, including you hamstrings, quadriceps and calves. Do gentle stretches for your arms and shoulders as well.

   To find your nearest Skate Reebok class, ring 0800 30 50 50.

   For information about the Betty Blade, log on to www.sweatybetty.com.