Fitness fanatics can quickly grow tired of a monotonous routine of spin classes or the elliptical. Thankfully, some creative minds keep us city folk supplied with endless new workout options for staying fit. One of the most inventive revivals is slide boarding — a training technique once used primarily with professional skaters, which is now gaining popularity among the more casual gym-going set.
It works like this: In order to mimic the sensation of skating on ice, booties are worn over sneakers as you stand on a laminated board. Crouched slightly, but with a flat back, you slide back and forth from one end to the other, just like you would if you were skating or rollerblading. That movement instantly engages your core muscles, in addition to building up strength in the calves, quads, glutes, hips and groin.
Lauren Pishkin, co-owner of Physical Mind Studio in Manhattan, was passionate about bringing this class to her clients.
“I was a competitive figure skater and I then worked with competitive figure skaters for about 20 years. I used to train them on the slide board,” she explains. “I knew how to get the average person on a board and be able to have them be successful. I also knew it would be a blast.”
Incorporating some Pilates moves into the slideboard routine, Pishkin notes that the class has been immensely popular, particularly with teenagers. She also says that, if done properly, some have been able to use the routine for the rehabilitation of ACL injuries.
