What should you look for in a pair of inline skates? The obvious being that boot fits your feet properly in a pair of sports socks. If you feel boot rubbing against your ankles or your toes rubbing inside boot, try another pair because ill-fitted boots will result in blisters and soar feet. Just like a badly fitting pair of running shoes.

I prefer laces for boot with one plastic or velcro strap at top and soft boots with plastic heel and bottom moldings for extra support. Soft boots with no plastic molding support usually give way to your ankle over time. Wheels should be in 76-78mm range. 80mm is too big a wheel for most people. Look for bearings with ABEC 4-5. Most quality inline skates come with ABEC 5 bearings nowadays anyway.

I've tried several different makes of inline skates over years. I find I like K2 best and highly recommend them. I like their sleek design, they fit my feet very well and have great support. K2s are also very comfortable and light in weight. Ultra Wheels are also very good and I hear that Salomon are quality blades too.

Inline skates are easy to maintain. The wheels need to be rotated every once in a while to prevent uneven wearing out. So if you use them 3 times a week, monthly is fine or take a look for how much wear there is on wheels. The bearings need to be lubricated too. I do this by removing wheel bearings assembly and wiping surface of any dirt and then spraying entire wheel bearing assembly with lubricant. I don't remove bearings from assembly casing any more since I find very little dirt gets in there and it's a lot of work.

In this article I've discussed cardiovascular and strength training benefits associated with inline skating. What you should look for when purchasing a pair of inline skates and their proper maintenance.

So start off with a weight that you can lift correctly for at least 8 reps, even if it’s only 2 to 5 pounds. Rest between each set of repetitions and between each exercise. If you can't make it to 8 reps during first few tries, don't give up. Do as much as you can do. You'll be suprised at how soon you will feel like you need to add a bit more weight.

But goal is not to become a body builder, but rather to restore your muscle tone and joint movement. You can gradually work your way up to heavier weights if you desire, but you will obtain best benefit by avoiding injury and sticking to program – lifting weights every two or three days.

An excellent resource on this subject is Getting Stronger: Weight Training for Men and Women by Bill Pearl and Gary Moran, Ph.D. I have edition that came out in 1986. A newer one is now available. I have referred to it constantly over last 19 years.

The book gives you tips and pointers on how to set up a strength training regime. There are illustrations of every exercise with step by step instructions on how to do them properly.

You can either learn beginning to advanced body building, sports fitness routines to help you do better in 22 different sports, exercises to help prevent injuries at work or just principles of general conditioning and strength training.

And you don’t need any fancy equipment to get going. Almost all exercises use cheap dumbbells and weights that are available in just about every sporting goods store. All in all, this is a very comprehensive book on weight training and is especially helpful to those of us who have never lifted weights before.

If you have any disease, injury or physical disability, consult doctor who has been treating you before undertaking these exercises. Follow his advice on how to get started and do not strength train if he says not to.

Start off slowly with light weights. Follow diagrams in book to make sure you’re positioning your body correctly to avoid injury and obtain best result from your workout.

After several weeks, you will be well on your way to improving your appearance, physique and general attitude toward life, while doing wonders for you internal organs and maybe even fighting off disease. “Use it or lose it” applies to just about every part of your body. Don’t “lose it” because of inactivity and disuse.

This article is for informational purposes only. It does not purport to offer medical advice. Consult a qualified physician before undertaking any exercise program.

By: Jean Bowler http://www.ageless-beauty.com

Ms Bowler has taught ballet, gymnatics and aerobics and has been a personal coach.