Can Skateboarding Help You Lose Weight? A One-Month Experiment

The topic of weight can be a sensitive one, and it often sparks conversations, sometimes humorous, about the changes we experience in our bodies. Like the infamous “Freshman 15,” my move to New York City led to what my friend jokingly called the “New York 25,” a weight gain that I couldn’t quite explain. Despite maintaining a similar lifestyle to my college days – late nights, hard work, and questionable eating habits – I noticed a change. The most significant difference? A dramatic decrease in my skateboarding frequency. This led me to a simple question: could getting back on my board consistently help me shed some pounds?

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Diving Into the Research

My initial search for skateboarding-based weight loss stories yielded few results. There wasn’t a “skateboard transformation” as compelling as the “Jared from Subway” story, though perhaps that’s for the best. However, I did find a few sources that offered some insight. One “complete guide” claimed skateboarding could burn belly fat and even listed the best boards for weight loss—which seemed like a sales pitch for a Sector Nine cruiser.

The most intriguing piece of information came from a GQ India article. This article, with its stock photo of a young skater and a video of a suit-clad man on a board, claimed that an hour of skateboarding could burn 300 to 500 calories. The science seemed sound enough, sparking the possibility of a real transformation through skateboarding.

Formulating a Hypothesis

Drawing from my past academic experiences, particularly my struggles with Chemistry and Physics, I came up with the following hypothesis: “Skateboarding for 20 days within a month, while keeping all other aspects of my life the same, will result in the loss of a few pounds and a banging summer bod.” It might not be the most scientific approach, but it laid the groundwork for my personal experiment.

The Skateboarding Experiment

Knowing that my skatepark sessions were often social hangouts rather than dedicated workouts, I created a structured plan to ensure focused training. This plan included specific days for different types of skateboarding:

Frontside Day: Focused on frontside grinds and slides, including 50s, 5-0s, tails, and nosegrinds, with a choice of harder tricks.
Backside Day: Dedicated to backside grinds and slides, incorporating 50s, 5-0s, noseslides, and nosegrinds, along with a choice of more technical tricks.
Manny Pad/Balance Day: Focused on manuals, nose manuals, half cab manuals, and advanced manual variations.
Tyshawn Day: A day dedicated to popping over increasingly higher obstacles.
Flatground Free Day: A day for practicing 40 tricks of choice, with the option of a friendly game of SKATE.

Analyzing the Results

While there wasn’t a precise way to measure progress, I observed a few key changes during the month-long experiment. For one, I went through three skateboards, which is a significant increase from my usual one board every six months. Additionally, my clothing began to fit differently. My XL Polar Big Boy pants felt a bit looser, which could indicate some weight loss or simply that I had changed my laundry habits.

Here’s a look at my weekly weigh-ins:

First Week: 233 lbs
Second Week: 234.2 lbs
Third Week: 231.6 lbs
Fourth Week: 230 lbs

The overall physical change wasn’t dramatic, but my confidence on the board grew significantly. Tricks I hadn’t done in a long time started to feel natural again. Beyond the physical aspect, the experiment reminded me of the joy of skateboarding. Getting outside for an hour daily was great for mental clarity, allowing me to switch off from my everyday thoughts.

The Final Verdict

After a month of consistent skateboarding, I lost three pounds. While this may not sound like a monumental achievement, it’s something. Some might suggest they lose more weight simply by going to the bathroom, but this experiment wasn’t about a radical diet change.

The main objective was to reintroduce consistent skateboarding into my routine while maintaining my existing lifestyle, including my love for less-than-healthy food and copious amounts of Budweiser. Many online critics suggested that I needed to diet to see better results, but that missed the point. The core of this experiment was to determine if skateboarding itself could be a viable method for weight loss.

I’ve always been fascinated by how some skateboarders remain lean despite indulging in poor diets and drinks. This experiment was a personal attempt to see if skateboarding could provide a solution without making drastic changes. While my experiment might not appear to be a resounding success, it reinforced skateboarding as a fun and effective way to stay active, especially if the gym isn’t your scene.

Ultimately, if this experiment motivated other skateboarders to hit the park, then it was worth it. If you’re interested in trying my workout plan, go for it. It may not make you lose a ton of weight, but it will definitely help you land your flatground tricks.