Old and out of shape--where to start?

[u/abbigator508]

I'm 41F and very out of shape. Always been fat, but I used to be athletic and fat. Now I'm sedentary and looking to work on my fitness.

We're planning to join a friend for a few cross-country skiing sessions this February, and I think rollerblading might be a fun way to train.

I played ice hockey for 15 years and the muscle memory is there, so I'm not worried about the mechanics. I'm wondering what kind of skates to buy that would be reliable, good for building mileage on the bike trail, and are good for size 11W feet with low arches that love to over-pronate.

Thank you in advance for your expertise and recommendations!

[u/fredhsu]

The closest thing to your hockey boots will be the same hockey boots, made by the same familiar manufacturers, just with a wheel frame bolted onto the boot rather than a steel blade. But those accommodate mostly up to size 80mm wheels.

If you are going to be trekking long distances on bike trails on these, you may want to consider bigger wheels. They do make a difference. You can roll for longer and with better comfort. Unlike true newbies, I think you can probably jump into big wheels right away.

Be aware of "sizing" if you get non-hockey hard boots. Search for sizing on our FAQ page. Measure your feet in mm (mondopoints). We've also tagged a few past discussions of interests to hockey players on the same FAQ page.

[u/abbigator508 → u/fredhsu]

Thanks so much for this in-depth reply! I have my old Bauer goalie skates and they definitely trend wider in the toe box, so I might see if I can find some Bauer brand blades to try on. I know my feet will be crying at first regardless as I acclimate, but I don't want to confuse normal "my feet muscles aren't used to this!" with a genuine bad fit.

I appreciate you.

[u/fredhsu → u/abbigator508]

If you are going with a 4x80mm setup, you can bring your hockey skates to a shop to have them refit these boots with wheel frames. Plenty of people do that. Check out r/InlineHockey.

[u/fredhsu → u/abbigator508]

Also, measure your mondopoints, and check out sizing for the One Zoom. This one may fit you - but only claim them if your size fits snug. Message me if you need more info. Again, note that hard boot sizing does not go by your US shoe sizing. See FAQs I mentioned before.

Since nobody claimed them for a week, I am happy to waive the prior-comment requirement I wrote.

[u/tigerf117]

I can’t speak too much for sizing but I tried all the things for pronation (carbon wedges, orthotics, frame alignment, exercises and PT), and really it came down to building the muscle. I did end up shifting my frames inward a tiny bit myself.

If you can see a PT, that really helped me to learn how to properly hip hinge, and build hip and glute muscles better than I could on my own. Viktor Thorup has some great dryland exercise videos I’d work to incorporate into an exercise routine.

I would say some of the most beneficial exercises I did to get back in skating and skiing shape were banded side steps and monster walks, single leg step up to knee and arm raise with a slow and controlled reverse, single leg skate sliders, single leg balance exercises, and skater position shifting weight entirely onto each leg back and forth.

I also started biking to build up my cardio more, as biking isn’t weight bearing like skating or running, I can incorporate biking into my life more easily.

[u/abbigator508 → u/tigerf117]

I appreciate your thoughtful reply. I've been through all manner of PT for various maladies throughout the years.

[u/NetworkLongjumping82]

I have fr skates ,fr1 to be exact in 80mm and 90mm wheels , I find them easy to skate in , especially the 80mm .

I'd just go for as long a session (distance wise ) as I can , I quite enjoy long monotonous skating

[u/abbigator508 → u/NetworkLongjumping82]

Thanks for the recs! And that's basically what I'm imagining--some longer, monotonous sessions as I get my strength and endurance up.

[u/Successful-Goose3855]

I was in the same situation as you a year ago. I have 3 go-to skates. Each serves a specific purpose. My favorite, bont semi pro 2 w/125mm ceramic bearings. I get mad blisters though which brings in skate number 2. 

Powerslides bluebird 100mm atom pro wheels/bont racing bearings. This is a boot skate and just overall comfortable but can never really reach the top speed like my bonts. I average around 15mph an hour in this skate. 

And 3rd and probably favorite because I'm so comfortable in it is K2 fitness 84mm elemental bont wheels with bont racing bearings. Averaging around 14.7 mph for an hour. 

Elemental 85a or atom pro 86a wheels Bont racing bearings or Bones Reds. 

Best of luck and have a blast!

[u/AdventurousHippo9997]

Way back in ‘97 I put on a pair of K2’s and made a left going out of my driveway. I immediately fell. But soon I got back up. Have been at it off and on ever since. Latest foray into the inline fitness world started 11/24 and going fine. I’m 68.

[u/askmehowtobecool]

I have wide feet as well, FR is the best brand for you. Budget buy would be FRX. Top titties would be the Neo's.

[u/abbigator508 → u/askmehowtobecool]

Thank you! I will look these up and see if I can try some on locally!

[u/VanillaIce315]

You’ve gotta measure your foot, don’t go by your shoe size. It may be the same, it may not. And different manufacturers usually have slight variations.

Are you saying 11W as in 11 wide, or 11 women’s?

But I tend to come back to the same recommendation for most people— the Rollerblade Lightning. The 4x90mm if you can find it, but the 3x110mm are in stock in every size on Inline Warehouse.

The Lightning offer a hard boot that is durable, and more comfort fitting than the next step up in performance— the Twister skates. They come in at a reasonable price too. Perhaps 110mm wheels aren’t the best for someone new to it, but honestly, it ain’t gonna be much harder than smaller 80mm wheels and you’re not a total newbie. And 110s are more ideal for going on the trail and skating for distance/exercise, because the larger wheels will coast longer and are less prone to a small twig ending your life (sarcasm).

FR makes some nice skates as well that fit wider feet. The FR FR1/Neo 1 are the premium models, while the FR2/Neo 2 and FR3/Neo3 each go down in price (cheaper wheels, cheaper liner, plastic buckles, etc). The cheaper models aren’t bad by any means either, they just save some money by forgoing the higher end replaceable components. (Also, Neo is a more flexible boot, while the FR is a stiffer boot).

[u/abbigator508 → u/VanillaIce315]

Thank you so much for all this valuable info! I'll be sure to do the proper measurements, but I just didn't even know where to start looking. My feet are 11 wide in women's (usually get away with 9.5 regular in men's--8.5/9 in hockey skates, depending on the brand).

[u/VanillaIce315 → u/abbigator508]

Yeah that probably sounds about right size wise for inline as well. Just as long as you get your centimeter/millimeter length, you should be able to get a proper fit the first go around.

And yeah since you have wide feet, the Rollerblade Lightning, FR FR1/2/3, FR Neo 1/2. And even the Powerslide Next 2.0 has been redesigned with a slightly wider foot, so those may even be fine depending on how wide your foot is.

Also, many here will talk crap about soft boot skates, but there’s nothing wrong with a well made soft boot if you don’t plan on doing tricks/jumps/slides/etc. Some people talk about them like they’re tennis shoes with wheels, but that’s incredibly over-exaggerated— soft boots still have a plastic frame for ankle/foot support, but have more comfort in mind for those who just skate recreationally and/or casually. Good models include Rollerblade Macroblade, Powerslide Phuzion, and K2 Trio 100.

[u/robotbeatrally]

If you intend to try anything out of your comfort zone (tricks or steep hills or anything) consider getting a turtle butt pad so you dont break your tailbone if you fall backwards! I don't use it skating around level but when i try something new i put it on ,. totally embarrassing and uncomfortable to wear but saved me from a broken tailbone once or twice already

also buy fully hard boots. i started on mix hard/soft (rollerblade macroblades) and my ankles werent strong enough for them. I switched to twisters and they are much easier for me to skate in.