Learn how to properly ride a scooter to get not only the pleasure of riding, but also benefits for the body. Scooters have been a popular means of transportation and entertainment for many years. Modern scooter models are highly safe and reliable. Today we will talk more about the selection rules, but first of all I would like to answer the question of whether there is any benefit from riding a scooter.
Does riding a scooter benefit the body?
Of course, there are benefits, and quite impressive. This is especially true for children and representatives of the beautiful half of humanity. To begin with, riding a scooter helps to strengthen the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and also has a positive effect on the musculoskeletal system. In modern life, any physical activity is only welcome. Many people of all ages spend a lot of time in offices at work, and at home they sit in front of the TV and computer.
When you ride a scooter in the fresh air, your lungs are working at full strength. As a result, the blood is well saturated with oxygen, which is then delivered to all tissues of the body. Scooter rides can be very beneficial for heavy smokers who need to cleanse their lungs of toxins. Do not forget that such walks are great for strengthening the immune system.
The scooter is an excellent means of preventing varicose veins of the lower extremities, since the main load falls on the legs. All this helps to improve blood flow and eliminates congestion in the blood vessels. If a person suffers from vegetative-vascular dystonia, then walking on a scooter helps to strengthen the vestibular apparatus.
Scientists are confident that this vehicle is useful for men in terms of preventing diseases such as adenoma and prostatitis. This is due to increased blood flow in the pelvic area. Great news for the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity will be the scooter's ability to improve lipolysis processes. If you regularly go for walks on a scooter, you can actively burn body fat. Even daily trips of half an hour can help you shed a few pounds and strengthen your muscles.
Specialists in the field of ophthalmology also talk about the benefits of walking in this vehicle. Driving a scooter, a person peers at objects located at a decent distance. This is an excellent workout for the eye muscles and thus prevents the loss of visual acuity. Scooter rides are no less useful in relation to the nervous system. Each walk brings a lot of positive emotions. Physical activity also has a positive effect on the nervous system.
Let's compare scooter rides with other popular cardio activities:
- Bike - during cycling, only the legs are actively involved in the work, which leads to imbalances in the development of muscles.
- Run - an excellent form of physical activity, but it has the ability to overload the joints and the spinal column.
Scooter driving rules
To get the most out of walking this vehicle, we recommend that you follow a few simple rules:
- Do not go for a walk immediately after a meal.
- The active phase must necessarily alternate with rest.
- Before starting a walk, you should stretch your joints so as not to get injured.
- Classes should be regular.
The advantages of a scooter
When the child grows up. Many parents cannot decide. What to buy for your child - just a bike or start with a scooter. We have already talked about whether there is any benefit from riding a scooter. Let's take a look at the benefits of this vehicle:
- It will help in the physical development of the child - the scooter improves the performance of the articular-ligamentous joint and has a positive effect on the health of the spinal column. If during cycling only the legs are actively working, then the scooter also uses the abdominal muscles. Since you have to constantly change the jogging leg, the load is distributed evenly. Due to the absence of a saddle, there are no negative aspects such as numbness, microtrauma and impairment of blood flow.
- Smaller size and lack of pedals - even if a child falls off the scooter, he is guaranteed not to receive serious injuries.
- If there is a serious obstacle on the way, then you can quickly jump off the scooter. And rolling it next to you is much easier compared to a bicycle.
- The storage of the vehicle does not require a lot of space.
- You can ride a scooter on the sidewalk without creating an emergency. You can reach high speeds on a bicycle, which is unsafe for all road users.
- You can take walks even in cold weather - warm clothes are not a serious obstacle to walking, because in the absence of pedals there is nothing to catch on.
- Improved sense of balance - Scientists have proven that regular scooter walks promote spatial thinking and improve coordination. After the scooter, the child will quickly learn to ride a two-wheeled bicycle.
- Today you can buy scooters for adults and take fun walks with the whole family.
- You can have fun with the scooter by arranging various competitions.
What muscles work when riding a scooter?
Regular scooter walks can develop the following muscles:
- You will pump up the quadriceps and calves qualitatively, which will improve the shape of the thigh and lower leg.
- The muscles of the buttocks are actively involved in the work.
- Improve your hamstring stretch, which will become more flexible and mobile.
- Observing the rolling technique, you can well strengthen the muscles of the press and back.
Since you have to squat to take off, almost all the muscles of the lower extremities are involved in the work. So that the load is evenly distributed. It is necessary to alternate the jogging leg. We recommend doing this every 5-15 minutes. Scientists say that the load on the jogging leg while moving on a scooter corresponds to running, but at the same time the joints are spared from the negative impact. To maintain the correct position of the body, you have to actively use the muscles of the abdomen and back.
As we said above, regular walks on this vehicle contribute to rapid weight loss. If you are moving at a speed of 18 kilometers per hour, then for every kilo of body weight, about 0.765 kJ of energy is burned. For comparison, at a similar cycling speed, the energy consumption is only 0.46 kJ. This suggests that in order to lose weight with the same effectiveness, you need to move on a bicycle almost twice as fast. The energy consumption while riding a scooter is similar to swimming.
How to choose the right scooter?
Not all people know that a large number of models can be found on sale today. All of them can be divided into two large groups - T-shirts and scooters. If everything is clear enough with the second group, then a few words should be said about T-shirts. This vehicle is used in professional sports for high-speed driving. They are large in size and equipped with large inflatable wheels in the manner of bicycles.
Types of scooters
All scooters can be classified according to several parameters. Depending on the way of riding, there are stunt and city scooters. There is also a gradation depending on the purpose. However, let's take a closer look at this issue.
- Stunt scooters - already from the name it is clear that they are designed for fast driving and performing complex stunts. The main design feature of stunt scooters is a non-folding structure and small wheels.
- City scooters - used for movement in the city, most often has strong wheels and a folding structure. These scooters are perfect for children and adults for joint walks.
Three-wheeled scooters are designed for children from one to three years old. For the smallest, you can purchase a vehicle with a plastic frame. Since these scooters are designed for children, they have bright colors, various stickers, bells, lights and even musical accompaniment. For an emergency stop, three-wheeled scooters are most often equipped with a hand brake.
When choosing a vehicle in this category, pay attention to the wheels. If they are large, then maneuverability is significantly increased and it becomes possible to overcome difficult sections of the road. The only drawback of three-wheeled scooters should be considered the need to allocate additional storage space.
Two-wheeled scooters are designed for children from the age of four and are also suitable for adults. Today, most of these models are foldable and lightweight. The handlebar height can be adjusted. And the large wheels provide high maneuverability. The highest quality scooters are made of metal. Most often, the brake system is located on the rear wheel and you need to pay special attention to this issue.
Scooters with inflatable wheels are distinguished by their high cross-country ability. They can be used by you for walks not only in the city, but also on easy rough terrain. Also, weather conditions do not seriously affect the ability to travel. High-speed scooter models are equipped with large wheels. They also differ in the presence of a braking system not only at the back, but also in front.
When choosing a scooter, you should consider the width of the deck (foot pad) to make your rides as comfortable as possible. If this element of the scooter is too wide, then the overall speed of movement will noticeably decrease. You should also take into account the length of the deck, because this parameter also affects the speed qualities of the vehicle. And the last important parameter of the deck is the height. The larger it is, the harder it will be to push off, and you will quickly get tired. At the end of the conversation about the deck, we also note the ways of its attachment:
- One piece - the deck with the frame is a monolithic construction.
- Flexible - the deck is fixed between the metal bases of the frame.
- On the frame - the deck is located on top of a metal frame.
Of course, in many ways, the safety of movement depends on the wheels. Pay attention to the quality of their workmanship. The wheel diameter of city scooters ranges from 15 to 200 millimeters. Be sure to check the design of the bearings you are using. The most reliable and convenient devices are those that have an index of 7 or 9.
For more information on the rules and benefits of riding a scooter, see the video below:
