Worried that you aren’t fit enough/athletic enough/strong enough to start playing roller derby? The beauty of roller derby is that there is a role for every body shape, including yours! We have skaters from a variety of fitness backgrounds – rugby players, ballerinas, the sport-averse – and they can all kick some serious butt. Skating for 90 minutes twice a week is one hell of a workout, so even if you haven’t so much as looked at a sports bra or pair of trainers in years, you’ll be surprised how quickly your body will adapt.
Roller derby training will get you fit. But if you want some extra things to do in the run up to your first session, here are our suggestions:
Practice skating
It might seem obvious, but even skating prodigies might need a refresher if it’s been a few decades since you hit the rink. Skate Central has a roller disco where you can strut your stuff (or focus on not falling on your face too much…).
Squats
‘Derby stance’, the position you will need to be in most often, is basically a squat on roller skates. So the more squat practice you get in, the more your thighs and butt will love you and take care of you.
One-legged squats
The same as squats but also adding balance testing into the mix because we’re such daredevils.
Planks
Done right, planks help build hella strong core muscles, with in turn will help you balance, fall over less, and give and take hits like a boss. Keep your butt low and remember to breathe.
Lifting heavy things!
Properly, with good form, of course. Check out our sponsor gym Structure Sport and Fitness, who have even designed a roller derby strength programme!
What if skating isn’t for me?
If, for whatever reason, skating isn’t for you, you can still be involved in the awesome, inclusive, supportive roller derby community. From Non Skating Officials to photographers/film makers to events planning, there’s a space for you in roller derby. As always, any questions just hit us up at sheffieldsteelrollerderby@gmail.com and we’ll sort you out. See you on track!