3 compelling reasons to start roller skiing

If you're an avid cross-country skier or an alpine snow enthusiast, you should continue reading. We're discussing roller skiing and how it can help you enhance your performance during the snowless months.

Maintaining fitness

There's an old saying that “good skiers are made during the summer”, and it holds true. You can't expect to stay in shape for cross-country runs in the winter if you don't break a sweat during the spring, summer, and fall.

The good news is that you can easily achieve this by focusing on the same muscles with a pair of roller skis. When you go cross-country skiing, you use more than 80% of your body muscles. Roller skiing engages the same muscles, offering not only a perfect workout but also a highly specific one.

Roller skiing, much like cross-country skiing, enhances your core strength, arm and leg muscles, and provides excellent cardio training. All this comes with low pressure and low impact on your joints, making it ideal if you're recovering from an injury and can't run, for instance.

Enhancing your technique

Roller skis not only keep you fit but also allow you to improve your technique. Depending on your preference, you can choose between two types of roller skis - skate or classic.

Skate roller skis have narrower wheels with a larger diameter and a shorter base. They are ideal if you want to replicate the real on-snow feel of skate skiing. They offer more freedom of movement and greater speed.

Classic roller skis have wider wheels with a smaller diameter and a longer base. They are perfect if you need more balance and want to work on your kick-off. These engage your arms and core significantly. As the name suggests, they prepare you for more classic on-snow performance.

No snow? No problem

Lastly, the obvious reason is that you can roller ski during the snowless months, which (unfortunately) outnumber the snowy ones. Roller skis were introduced back in the 1930s as training gear for professional cross-country skiers.

Over time, roller skis have significantly improved in replicating the on-snow experience. The way they are built today closely resembles actual skiing, with the only difference being that it can be done off-season. Sounds perfect, doesn't it!

So check out our page and get a pair of roller skis to prepare for the upcoming winter season. If you're unsure which ones are right for you, don't hesitate to contact us; we have quite a few experts on hand.