AIBU? I don’t think 12 yr old son should roller blade during his one hour exercise slot. Cycling walking fine.

[Lucyloula]

Please help sort a family dispute.

My son has recently discovered the joys of roller blading (I don’t blame him, I loved it too at that age and introduced him to it) trouble is. I can’t help but feel it is too much of a ‘leisure’ activity at the moment given the current lockdown.

We get one outing a day and it needs to be efficient. Running, cycling or a fast walk. Get out and get home. I feel like roller blading is too unstable and is somehow not in keeping with the current mind set of the nation.

Husband and son think I’m crazy. It’s exercise. What’s my problem. It just doesn’t sit right by me. Please tell me I’m being unreasonable, if indeed I am? Hope you’re all keeping well In this crazy world we find ourselves in.

I would avoid high risk activity at the moment OP (not sure that roller blading comes into that, guess it depends how good he is) I worked in fracture clinic for years and we always got lots of broken bones around Easter when DC dusted off the trampolines.
Last thing NHS needs are shed loads of kids with fractures. They have closed snowdonia to avoid social interaction, but also to avoid injuries.

You are mental

If it's unstable then it definitely IS keeping with the current mindset of the nation :)

When we were told one form of outdoor exercise a day, Boris mentioned the 3 most obvious ones, he could not go through every possibility. Saw a family out for a walk in the woods yesterday and their LO was on a pony - no mention of ponies either. I’ve also seen a couple of DCs on scooters. As long as your DS doesn’t congregate with other rollerbladers, I think it’s fine.

Yabu.

Where would be need to get fast? What to try and outrun the virus? I’m not sure it works like that...

I'd let him do whatever the heck he likes as long as he does it safely- it's still exercise & it's about mental health/wellbeing as much as physical right now.

I’m going to choose to believe that you’re stressed and anxious due to the current situation OP and that is why your behaving and thinking like this. This is a good opportunity to stop, take a breath and decide to loosen up a little, otherwise you’re in for a really rough and miserable time in the coming weeks.

You’re correct, exercise once a day but no one set a rule on how efficient it should be how how you should do it or how long for. Allow yourselves (namely your young son) some fun and enjoyment where you can at this time. For a lot of people, there is very little to be had right now!

My kids are kicking a ball around a big empty space, should they be walking or joggin instead??? Any outdoor exercise is fine so long as it's away from people as per the rules.

@WotchaTalkinBoutWillis - we're all supposed to be getting exercise, just staying away from other people... It won't do the NHS much good if in a few months everyone's fat and unhealthy and has rickets from not going out in the sun or exercising.

I think it's fine to take part in a "leisure activity" if it's solo - let's face it, cycling, walking or running are leisure activities if just for their own sake as opposed to eg walking to the shops to buy something essential. But I would be worried about him falling over and needing medical attention. That's the line I would take.

Where has he to go "fast" though ? he could roller skate up and down the street for an hour if he wanted too kids are couped up let him roller skate how he wants

YABU. I stepped down one step weirdly a few years ago and ended up on crutches. Accidents happen. It’s no more likely on roller blades. He could slip down the stairs or fall off the bike or trip over. Just let him exercise how he wants.

Plenty of kids are using scooters during their period of exercise. The daily walk is as much for our mental heath as physical, let him skate.

Other countries have banned any high risk exercise like skates and scooters so you're not completely mad OP. Just make sure he wears a helmet and protective gear in case he does have a fall. You do not want to end up in A&E at the moment.

DH is a very good rollerblader. Usually at least an hour a day, a highly skilled level. He has stopped, the reason being that is he were to have an accident (he blades all over the city usually), then it would mean going to hospital and those resources are stretched enough as it is.
He's been using home gym equipment, exercise video workouts instead.

What the fuck

In need to get off this site.

I think that we are all really stressed at the moment. But getting him outside is a good thing. Unless you live in a really busy area and he might crash into something

I would be concerned about the risk of a broken limb or something that needed stitching TBH. I don't think there's anything wrong with rollerblading other than that.

You could break a limb or need stitches on a bike or running 🤷

Far less likely than someone who has "recently discovered" rollerblading 🙄

I would take roller blades over road bikes any day!! My 16 yr old son recorder 75 km on his push bike today despite being told to take it easy....it's like pushing water uphill to get them to understand!

I'm a skater. Rollerblading has been found to be 5 times safer than cycling in a US study of the likelihood of suffering sporting injuries. However I'd insist he wears a helmet and if you have them, wrist guards and kneepads. If you don't have them try to find a way of ordering them. Especially wrist guards. Also if he's a recent skater, 100% make sure he uses a heel brake and can use it properly, which means pushing his weight low into his left leg while braking with the right. If you have a driveway or patio make him practice that a lot, so he can reduce his speed and stopping distance significantly as soon as he needs to.

And if you do have suitable outside space or are willing to let him skate a little bit in the house, youtube channels like Skatefresh Asha and Dirty School of Skate are doing 'small space' tutorial videos several times a week. The latter is for roller skates rather than inlines, but most of the technique is broadly similar. If there is no way for him to skate at home, Bill Stoppard, a skater and personal trainer, also has an at home off skate exercise tutorial video on youtube for a workout that will help build muscles used in skating. Your son might enjoy doing a daily workout at home with the idea that it will improve his skating.