Are you one of those people who, though active year-round, is partial to winter sports like skiing and snowboarding? As delightful as warmer weather can be, it’s easy to miss those winter-only sports, and the long months between snow means that the muscles used when skiing and snowboarding deteriorate, and must be rebuilt come December.

The answer to the avid skier’s plight is the roller-ski, a unique tool that combines the standard ski with that summer favorite, the roller skate.

The first roller-skis were found in Italy in the early 1930’s, but went mainstream in the later 50’s when winter athletes began to use them as training aids during the summer months. Eventually, roller-skis were recognized as a sport unto themselves, with races and competitions. The double-benefits of this were that ‘ski’ races could be offered in areas with warmer climates less conducive to snow, and that athletes in snowy states could train and compete year-round.

Roller skis come in a number of shapes and sizes, the most popular featuring two wheels beneath a ski-like base. The wheel types can be altered to suit various conditions: for the more adventurous, ‘off-road’ wheels featuring huge treads allow athletes to revisit their favorite forest trails in the summer. The opposite are also available: there are roller-skis built for speed that operate best on specially designated tracks.

The benefits of roller-skiing are not just for competitive athletes but extends to the general public as well. As roller-skis are fitted with wheels, similar to the roller blade, they require (and therefore improve) balance and coordination. Roller Skiing targets the main muscle groups of the body as everything is engaged. This total workout is especially evident in the Nordic version of Roller Skiing (called Nording Blading) that involves ski poles similar to those used in cross-country skiing, the difference here obviously being the wheels affixed to each ‘ski.’ 

Nordic Blading is one of the most total forms of aerobic activity available to athletes during the summer. The addition of ski poles targets the arms and increases strength in the skier’s core as he or she uses them for additional speed and support. The skiers legs are obviously engaged as well: they are what provides the power of the skier’s stride. However, despite the vigorous cardiovascular element to this form of roller-skiing, the activity itself is fairly low-impact on the skier’s joints – certainly more so than running.

Roller-skiing is a total-body workout that maintains those hard-earned winter muscles during the summer months. It is relatively low impact, fun, and, like our favorite summer activities, provides us with ample opportunity to take in the fresh air and sunshine. Get ready for a lot of curious stares from the people you ‘ski’ past, however, and read through this article once or twice so that you are fully prepared to answer all of their questions!•