Is Roller Skating Good Exercise? Benefits and Calories Burned

Yes. Roller skating is a lower-impact cardio workout that strengthens your legs, glutes and core and challenges your balance. The Compendium of Physical Activities rates roller skating at 7.0 METs, which the CDC counts as vigorous activity. That works out to roughly 510 calories an hour for a 160-pound person.

Last updated: October 30, 2026 · By the Skates.com Editorial Team

Is roller skating a good workout?

Roller skating is a good workout because it combines steady cardio with leg strength and balance work, and most people find it more fun than a treadmill. The 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities gives roller skating a value of 7.0 METs (code 15590), meaning it uses about seven times the energy of sitting still (Compendium: Sports).

The CDC classes activities of 6.0 METs or more as vigorous and 3.0–5.9 METs as moderate (CDC: Measuring physical activity intensity). By that measure, steady roller skating is vigorous exercise. Gentle cruising at a rink will be lighter, so use the CDC’s talk test: during moderate activity you can talk but not sing, and during vigorous activity you can’t say more than a few words without pausing for breath.

What are the health benefits of roller skating?

• Heart and lung fitness: continuous skating raises your heart rate like running or cycling.
• Leg and glute strength: every side-push works your hips, thighs and glutes, and your core keeps you upright.
• Balance and coordination: rolling on eight wheels trains the small stabilizing muscles in your feet, ankles and hips.
• Joint-friendly: HSS sports medicine physician Dr. Brett Toresdahl calls roller skating a lower-impact exercise that people with hip, knee or ankle conditions might find more tolerable.
• Bone health: “Unlike other low-impact exercises such as swimming or biking, roller skating is a weight-bearing exercise, so it can be better for bone health,” Dr. Toresdahl says.

One caution from the same source: because roller skating takes good balance, it may be challenging for people with chronic knee injuries (Hospital for Special Surgery). Check with your doctor if you have a joint condition.

How many calories does roller skating burn?

Roller skating burns roughly 380 to 700 calories an hour, depending mostly on your body weight and how hard you skate. A 160-pound person burns about 510 calories in an hour of steady roller skating.

How we calculated: one MET is defined as 1 kcal per kilogram of body weight per hour (Compendium of Physical Activities), so calories per hour ≈ 7.0 × your weight in kilograms. These are estimates. Your real burn depends on speed, hills, wind, stops and fitness, and a casual rink session with lots of coasting will burn less.

Does roller skating burn more calories than walking or running?

Roller skating burns more than brisk walking and a little less than running at 5 mph, minute for minute.

Sources: Compendium sports codes, walking codes and running codes. Comparing inline and quad skating? Is Rollerblading Good Exercise? covers inline skating at faster training paces, the muscles it works and sample workouts.

Is roller skating cardio?

Yes. Roller skating keeps large muscle groups moving continuously, which makes it aerobic (cardio) exercise. The CDC recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, each week, plus muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days a week (CDC adult guidelines). Because steady roller skating is vigorous, about 25 minutes three times a week reaches the 75-minute vigorous target.

Can you lose weight roller skating?

Roller skating can help you lose weight when it helps you burn more calories than you eat. Weight loss comes from that calorie deficit, so pair regular skating with a balanced diet. You can’t target fat loss to one spot, such as your belly, but regular sessions add up. At 7.0 METs, a 160-pound person burns about 255 calories in 30 minutes.

How do you make roller skating a better workout?

• Skate continuously. Long, steady laps or a smooth outdoor path keep your heart rate up. Stop-and-go rink sessions burn less.
• Add intervals. Alternate fast laps with easy recovery laps.
• Stay low. Deeper knee bend works your legs harder and improves balance.
• Add skills. Crossovers, one-foot glides and backward skating build coordination and core strength.
• Gear up. Wear a helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads and knee pads so a fall doesn’t end your training.

New to skating? Start with How to Roller Skate.

What do you need to start roller skating for exercise?

You need roller skates that fit snugly, wheels suited to your surface (soft for outdoor paths, harder for rinks), and protective gear. For mixed indoor and outdoor skating, the Roces RC1 ($100.00) comes with 85A wheels. Shop roller skates, outdoor roller skates and protective gear, or compare options in Best Roller Skates for Beginners.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is roller skating good exercise?

Yes. Roller skating is a lower-impact cardio workout that builds leg, glute and core strength and improves balance. The Compendium of Physical Activities rates it at 7.0 METs, which the CDC classes as vigorous activity.

How many calories does roller skating burn in an hour?

About 380 to 700 calories an hour, depending on body weight and effort. Using 7.0 METs, a 120-pound person burns about 380, a 160-pound person about 510, and a 200-pound person about 635 calories an hour.

Is roller skating better exercise than walking?

Minute for minute, yes. Steady roller skating is rated 7.0 METs, compared with 4.8 METs for brisk walking at 3.5 to 3.9 mph, so a 160-pound person burns about 510 calories an hour skating versus about 350 walking.

Is roller skating hard on your knees?

Roller skating is lower impact than running, and a sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery says people with hip, knee or ankle conditions might find it more tolerable. It does take good balance, so it may be challenging for people with chronic knee injuries.

How long should I roller skate for exercise?

Aim for sessions that add up to the CDC target of 75 minutes of vigorous or 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as 25 minutes of steady skating three times a week, plus two days of strength training.

Does roller skating tone your legs and butt?

Roller skating works your thighs, hips and glutes with every push, and your core keeps you balanced. Staying low with bent knees and adding crossovers makes those muscles work harder.

Is roller skating or rollerblading better exercise?

They are close. The Compendium rates roller skating at 7.0 METs and recreational inline skating at 9 mph at 7.5 METs, so both are vigorous. Choose the one you enjoy and will do most often.