Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Sports & Recreation Life in Rollerblades Life in Rollerblades I have often felt that the people who asked me why I rollerblade were sorry they did. Perhaps they thought they were going to get a quick, canned reply like "I enjoy it" or "Its fun." Instead, they discover their question triggers a more complex response. There are various reasons why I strap my feet into a pair of boots on wheels each and every day. Rollerblading reduces body fat and strengthens the heart, improves physical health, raises self-esteem, and sets a good example. Each of these reasons is why I haven’t put my blades down for more than a day in the past three years. At the age of 16, I went to a health fair and learned that approximately 20 percent of my body's weight was fat! I was so disappointed, since that was about five percent above what was considered healthy for an average young man of my age. To add to the emotional injury, I also learned that my resting pulse rate was 80 beats per minute (bpm). A young man with strong heart muscles has a pulse rate of 70 bpm or less. I now had the evidence I needed to tell me that a change in lifestyle was required. I decided to start an exercise program using a pair of rollerblades I had received as a gift from a previous birthday. I started slow the first day, blading about a mile and almost not even making it back up the hill to my house. During the next couple of months, I gradually increased my distance to three miles, which I have maintained for about three years. As a result, I reduced my body fat to about 14 percent and my resting pulse to about 65 bpm. At last, success! My parents frequently stressed good health as the most important thing in life. As I continued to rollerblade, I began reading articles about good health. They confirmed that the new way I was exercising was even better than I had imagined. Rollerblading is also very good for the immune system. My personal experience shows that not only has my number of illnesses decreased since I started blading, but the duration of each sickness has shortened, too. A rollerblader’s lungs process larger volumes of oxygen, which enrich the blood stream and brain. I think better and sleep more deeply when I'm in peak performance. A rollerblader also gets extra benefits from exercising outside: fresh air, sunshine, and a change of scenery. Sunlight provides the body with the best source of Vitamin D and improves ones spirits. When I was 17, I decided to start a training schedule for a rollerblade marathon. The schedule would increase my distance from the amount I was presently blading up to the distance I needed to finish the marathon. My marathon training was extremely exciting. I watched my own body change during the training, not so much in weight, but in shape. I lost fat that I didn't know I had, including two inches around the waist, and I gained muscle tone. My resting pulse rate decreased to 48 bpm, and my body fat fell to 11 percent. I completed the rollerblade marathon, convinced that I could do anything, since I had achieved the impossible--rollerblade a 60 kilometre distance. One important lesson I learned from my training is to drink water every thirty minutes so that you do not get dehydrated. But the most important thing I learned in training was to develop and stick to a plan of action. Although I've participated in many long-distance races, my first official race was that 60 kilometre marathon and I’ve bladed it every year since. It would be nice to blade a marathon each year. Rollerblade marathons have made my weekly blading, and everything else in life, much easier. Being in a rollerblade marathon gives one instant celebrity status with those who know you. Whether they approve of your accomplishments or not, most admire your discipline for doing what seems impossible--blading a 60 kilometre race and finishing. I applaud those men and women who make headlines, finishing first in races or breaking records. But the people I'm most impressed with are a bit less famous. I think about the man I met at my first marathon that had bladed more than 50 marathons at that time. Impressive as that is, he was also blind. Then there's the woman who has bladed as many marathons as I have but she's over 80 years old. I also met a man with cerebral palsy who has bladed 10 marathons. He blades his distance on what he calls mental crutches. I also admire the many thousand participants who raise funds for specific diseases like leukemia and multiple sclerosis each year. When I think of the accomplishments of these people and the odds they have overcome, I have two thoughts. First, I laugh at the artificial barriers I had set up for myself. Second, I hope to encourage others to accomplish the things they think are beyond their capabilities. It's a tragedy that most of us don't even try the things we'd like to do because we fear failure. If you're a rollerblader, I hope I have given you some answers in case you are ever asked, "Why do you rollerblade?" These reasons are enough to keep me going for the time being at least. Rollerblading reduces body fat and strengthens the heart, improves physical health, raises self-esteem, and sets a good example. It is the one workout for me that is fun and satisfying. Perhaps you will consider training for a marathon. If you haven't yet, search for the motivation to start now. Bibliography: Word Count: 955
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