Stacy Zaninovich never imagined the tiny kitchen of her Fullerton, Calif., apartment could double as a roller rink. But when California ordered residents to stay at home in March, she set a goal of roller skating every day of quarantine.
Wipeouts do occur, but not because she’s moving at high speeds on the vinyl floor. Ms. Zaninovich practices rhythm or jam skating, a dance-inspired skate style with roots in African-American culture.
“It’s been a stressful time psychologically,” says the 37-year-old. “On the days where I don’t want to do anything, this challenge keeps me motivated.” To hold herself accountable, she created an Instagram skate diary where she documents new moves.
When her rink closed in March, Ms. Zaninovich challenged herself to roller skate every day either in her home kitchen or a friend’s backyard in Long Beach, Calif.
Photo: David Walter Banks for The Wall Street JournalThe Gear and the Cost
- Moxi Jungle roller skates ($149)
- Riedell artistic roller skates ($400)
- Knee pads and wrist guards ($35)
- Helmet (3)
Ms. Zaninovich skated for fun as a girl. A brief stint on a roller derby team in 2010 taught her it could also be a serious workout. After giving birth to her son in 2017, she began roller skating outdoors to get back in shape. “It was something I enjoyed and that I could do with a stroller,” she says.
Looking for a new challenge, she started copying the disco-like moves of rhythm skaters on YouTube. “The first time I did it I felt muscles I never knew I had,” says Ms. Zaninovich. “It engages your core and legs in totally new ways.” In the fall of 2018 she enrolled in a 10-week skating workshop at a local dance studio, and was soon a regular at the roller rink.
Ms. Zaninovich sews products for Couch Guitar Straps in Long Beach, Calif., but logs fewer hours due to employee social distancing rules. She has used the downtime to improve her skating, practicing when her son, 3, is napping, or allowing him to dance along, sans skates. “I’m stronger now than I’ve ever been, and I love the discipline I’ve developed,” she says.
While she misses the social aspects of the rink, she’s made new skate friends virtually. “Until lockdown, I never posted on social media,” she says. “I’ve found people’s comments and virtual challenges really encouraging. It’s kept me going these last 80 or so days at home.”
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The Workout
Ms. Zaninovich’s home rink consists of a narrow galley kitchen area that feeds into a dining area, from which she removes a table and chairs. Live online classes and online challenges fuel her creativity. “I would have never thought to try a backbend on skates,” she says. Classes often incorporate yoga postures such as splits and dancer pose and strength exercises like triceps dips and squats. When she wants a cardio burst, she’ll do variations of burpees and mountain climbers on skates. “Most people don’t think you have to be strong to roller skate,” she says. “But you need a strong core to stop and shift your balance to pivot or twirl.”
Mountain climbers are extra challenging when wearing roller skates.
Photo: David Walter Banks for The Wall Street JournalThe Playlist
- Leon Bridges
- Tame Impala
- K. Roosevelt
- Pump Song: “One More Time” by Daft Punk
Most days are devoted to mastering new skate moves. Since quarantine, she’s perfected “shoot the duck,” a move where the skater squats down and glides forward on one foot while kicking the other leg straight out and holding the skate with one hand.
She’s also fine-tuned hurricane kicks, where the skater balances on one leg and repeatedly kicks the opposite leg straight out in front while spinning in circles. “If you aren’t engaging everything you are going to fall,” she says.
She recently started socially distanced skating in a friend’s backyard. She used to skate on a paved path along the beach for 30 to 60 minutes once a week. She’s hesitant to return there, and instead skates around her block when she craves speed. “Coronavirus is still a big concern in California,” she says. “I feel more responsible staying close to home, even if it means skating over cracks and dodging potholes on my street.”
Ms. Zaninovich and her friend, Rochelle Scheel, practice a dance-inspired skate style known as rhythm skating.
Photo: David Walter Banks for The Wall Street JournalThe Diet
- Philosophy: Plant-based
- Breakfast: Frozen fruit smoothie bowl topped with ground flax seed, avocado and nut butter
- Lunch: Salad with homemade fermented buckwheat bread topped with peanut butter, avocado or hummus
- Dinner: Jackfruit, Soyrizo or tofu tacos
- Snack: Almond milk protein shake
- Splurge: Chia pudding
Splits and other yoga poses are part of Ms. Zaninovich’s skate routine.
Photo: David Walter Banks for The Wall Street JournalWorkouts and the Joy of Youth
You’re more likely to stick to your workout if you find it fun, says Angela Smith, Philadelphia-based past president of the American College of Sports Medicine. When adults re-embrace childhood activities, such as roller skating, they use muscles they haven’t worked in a while, she says. Here, Dr. Smith explains how child’s play can double as a workout for grown-ups.
Roller skating
“Your knees are bent the entire time you are skating and your glutes and thighs are working hard,” she says. “As you push off to propel forward, you fire your calves, hamstrings and glute muscles and your whole core stays engaged to keep you balanced.” Dr. Smith notes some skaters hold their arms out to the sides for balance, and this may result in soreness in the arm muscles.
Skateboarding
Protective gear is a must if you’re picking up skateboarding again, she says. “You are really working your balance,” she says. When you ride a longer, surf-style board you engage your quads, glutes and thighs more, she notes.
Hula Hooping
This is a core blaster, she says. You also work your leg muscles. Get creative and use it as a jump rope, she says.
Jumping Rope
“This is a fast, efficient cardio workout,” she says. Challenge your stability by trying to jump on one leg. “The jumping will also build bone strength, which is important as we age,” she says.
Tree Climbing
“Climbing a tree is a full-body workout,” she says. You can use tree limbs to do knee tucks or pull ups. When you drop to the ground focus on landing softly and absorbing impact. “As an adult, you need to be careful,” she cautions.
What’s your workout? Tell us at workout@wsj.com
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