Weight loss is always a topic of discussion.
And rightfully so.
In the U.S. the obesity rate for adults over 20 years old is a whopping 40%.
Pretty sad considering we invest the largest amount of money in healthcare compared to the rest of the world.
People are looking for new and bizarre ways to lose weight.
Ex: Apparently eating in front of a mirror makes you reflect back to your inner goals and causes people to eat 1/3 less than normal!
Pretty crazy!
But what about electric skateboarding?
Can you really lose weight by riding an e-board?
It’s Not The Same…
Electric skateboarding is not the same as regular skateboarding.
Considering that the motor of the board does all the work for you, you’re not really doing much movement besides pushing the throttle with your thumb and leaning your body in the direction you wish to turn…
That’s not exercising.
However, there may be one way it burns calories…
It is noted that riding an electric skateboard makes you think.
Think about it (no pun intended):
- Watching for obstacles
- Avoiding vehicles
- Making calculated decisions
- Remembering your route
- Staying safe
While you may not be exercising your body that much, you are exercising your brain…
Turns out thinking burns calories!
“The harder the task, the more calories you burn.
As for a number on thinking calories a person uses about 320 calories a day to think and this can go up by 5% depending on the task or activity.”
If you’re concentrating extremely hard while e-boarding, you can burn some calories.
If you’re more chilled out and relaxed on your ride around town, you won’t be burning anything.
Regardless, it’s nothing that significant!
So It’s Not Exercising?
That being said, electric skateboarding still requires a good deal of balance, stability, and center of gravity.
In that sense, it’s semi-like working out on a balance board.
“Your body burns up to 100 calories an hour standing on a balance board. In the long run, that adds up big time.”
So an hour of electric skateboarding should burn around 50-100 calories an hour depending on your thinking and balance/core being used.
If you’ve ever gone on a long route with your electric skateboard, you’ll notice your feet and ankles get really sore and exhausted from all the muscles needed to maintain stability.
This, over time, (combined with thinking) will help improve your balance and motor functions as well as judgment and decision making.
But don’t count on it to be your solution to the New Year’s resolution you made a while back.
If you’re really serious about burning calories and getting fit, hit the gym!
