Summer is in session and families throughout Chesterfield County and greater Richmond are looking to make the most of the break before school starts back. Sound familiar? If you’re looking for summer activities in Chester, you’ve come to the right place. Chester Skate Land is the place to go for family fun, and here’s why!

Roller Skating: All Ages Summer Fun

• Skating is cool – in more ways than one! The hottest days of summer can make you feel like you’re stepping into a frying pan when you step out of your front door. But cooped-up kids stuck inside are a recipe for bickering, binge-watching TV, raiding the pantry, and other couch-potato shenanigans most parents would prefer to avoid. Fortunately, roller skating at Chester Skate Land is a great indoor activity that will let your kids burn off some energy without risking sunburn, bug bites, and heat stroke!
• Roll at your own speed. One of the many reasons roller skating has been a beloved American pastime for generations is because it’s a family-friendly activity that all ages can enjoy. Kids can start learning to skate as young as 2 or 3 years old, and many skaters continue to enjoy the activity well into their senior years.
• You don’t have to be rolling in dough to participate! As many parents know all too well, amusement parks and other family entertainment options can be prohibitively expensive when the cost of entry is multiplied by 2 or more kids. Roller skating, on the other hand, is an affordable summer activity that won’t break the bank. Admission generally ranges from $5 to $7 dollars depending on the session, and you can save even more by visiting on Two For Tuesday!

Ready to rock ‘n roll with us? Give us a call at 804-748-0379 with any questions about your visit! You’ll find us at 2300 Southland Drive, Chester, VA.

When you hear the phrase “aerobic exercise” what do you immediately picture in your head? I picture an elderly woman in a pool with foam weights, a flowered swim cap, aqua socks and ear plugs. Today aerobic exercising includes a number of different activities and sports.

As a little refresher, an aerobic exercise is one that works on the strengthening of your heart and lungs and improving the body’s utilization of oxygen. Examples of everyday aerobic exercises include walking, running, cycling or spinning, tennis, skating dancing and many more.

As mentioned above, roller skating is a great aerobic exercise. If you are a skater wanting to improve skate stamina or just want to take up roller skating as a hobby or exercise, we have a few different ideas to help improve your aerobic endurance. For our new skaters, we have skate lessons available weekly at Chester. For our experienced skaters that want to practice and improve, check out our schedule for open skates, late night skates and more.

First way to improve your aerobic endurance would be a combination of walking and running in increments. As your strength and endurance builds, increase your run time and overall time. Another option is to rotate between different aerobic exercises. By switching your training method you will work different muscles as well as challenge your heart, lungs, and body in differently each day. By switching it up, your body will not be able to get used to or comfortable in a certain workout.

Whether you are running, walking or roller skating aerobic exercise is crucial to maintain heart health throughout your life. We have attached a graphic below with some awesome facts about roller skating and its health benefits. This graphic will make you reconsider using roller skating as an exercise instead of just a hobby.

Your favorite purse has a dust bag and you have a very special place to keep your favorite shoes clean. How do you keep roller skates in good shape? We have a few tips and tricks to share with you on how to care for roller skates. Roller skating maintenance does not only prolong the life of the roller skates but also improves your quality of skating.

1. The most important tip to remember is to always keep your skates dry. After sweating in your skates (gross, we know, but everyone does it), make sure to wipe the inside and outside of the skates down, then unlace them and let them dry out. Without completely drying the skates, bacteria or mildew can grow.
2. NEVER USE HEAT ON YOUR ROLLER SKATES. I know you may want to speed up the drying process, but heat can melt plastic, crack leather, and even ruin your skates.
3. Adjust to your level of comfort and preference of skate style. Check your roller skate truck and your toe stops. The truck is the metal part under your skate that holds both the axles and wheels in place. Both of these pieces can adjusted but should be snug and positioned properly to your preference.
4. Check your wheels. You should be keeping an eye on your wheels and checking to make sure they are spinning freely and are still visibly round.

After all of these, ensuring your laces are done up properly is key. We have attached an image below with a few different ways to lace your skates based on your needs. We hope these tips keep your skates rolling for years to come. Check out our schedule to put some miles on your skates. If you have any questions about skate maintenance or our facility, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Skating is like walking: you have to learn one step at a time. However, it’s also like riding a bike: Once you learn how to roller skate, it’s a skill you’ll have for life. Whether you’re learning to roller skating or you’re an unofficial pro trying to take your skills to the next level, we have the equipment to help you have a blast.

All roller skating rinks are a circular shape and are enclosed. This means you can learn to skate while holding on to the side of the rink. It is best to begin walking in your skates while holding on to the railing. From there, you can begin to glide with help from the side. Once you feel confident enough, let go and roll!

If you’re an intermediate or advanced skater, remember to be considerate of new skaters. Stick to the insides and middle of the rink to practice speed, footwork, or new tricks.

Whether or not you are confident in your ability, we always encourage safety equipment for all skate levels. We have attached a short video for those who have never skated before.

Some things to remember when buying a pair of roller skates:

• Size. You should always try your skates on before buying them, but typically you’ll need your shoe size or the next size up.
• What kind of skating you like. Different styles of skating require different skates and accessories. Do you want to focus on a particular style of skating, or do you want to be able to use your skates for various styles? The answers to these questions will affect which skates you buy.
• Type of wheel. Wheel diameter, hardness, tread, and material all affect your ride, so make sure you do your research on which will work best for you.
• How to lace your skates. If you have a wide forefoot, leave some space in between when lacing. If your skates are feeling too tight, lace up parallel style. If you have high arches, open up the middle. If you have heel slippage, secure the top with double lacing while regularly lacing the rest. If you’re not confident in learning on your own, talk to the pros! We offer skate lessons at Chester and our pros are always available to help.
• Breaking in your new skates. Besides using your new skates, applying heat and leather conditioner will help break in your skates. Also, tightening up your laces and doubling up on socks while breaking in your skates will relieve any pressure.

We hope we’ve helped you with the basics of roller skating and buying your own gear. Check out or schedule and upcoming events to show off your new roller skating skills.

You may not know that there are several different types of roller skating that have risen and fallen in popularity over the years. Different styles of roller skating include artistic roller skating, freestyle roller skating, precision teams, speed skating, group skating, and jam skating. Most are pretty self-explanatory, but we want to dive a little deeper into jam skating.

What is jam skating? Well, it’s a combination of roller skating, gymnastics, and dancing. Jam skating really began gaining popularity in the 90’s. It originated in the tradition of roller disco, but the breakdancing and music of the 1990’s had a major influence on jam skating as a style. Eventually, jam skate events formed so skaters could get together, socialize, exchange moves, and battle one another, just like a breakdance competition. The jam skate battles pushed skaters to try risky, innovative, and unexpected moves just to win a battle.

Want to see what all the fuss is about? Check out this YouTube video to see a jam skating competition in action.

There are several different styles, moves, and dances associated with jam skating, but there are four styles that rule the rink.

1. Footwork. This is pretty self-explanatory; it focuses on different moves using mainly your feet and the skates/brakes.
2. Power. This jam skate style is the most like break dancing, with head stands, spins, and other gravity defying tricks.
3. Ground breaking. Instead of moving around the rink, this skating style features small, intricate moves that push off the floor like toe-dancing, spot-skating, and crazy leg.
4. Rexing/Shuffle skating. This is moving forward or backwards to the beat around the rink.

Jam skating events still happen today throughout the United States in places like Carrollton, Georgia and Sandy, Utah. Want to join in the fun? Dance over to Chester to practice your jam skating moves. We have Old School Night every Sunday and a Cosmic Storm Glow Party to benefit the Red Cross scheduled for April. Check out our website for our full skating schedule with open skate times and themed nights.

Are you feeling the love or do you need help getting your blood pumping?

February is American Heart Month and we are here to remind you that there are plenty of ways to improve your heart health while having fun.

We have attached this graphic from www.rollerskating.com to show you some statistics when it comes to using roller skating as a form of exercise.

Not only is roller skating safer than contact sports but it is easier on the joints than running. Most of the time, roller skating will keep your heart in the fat burning (orange) zone but can increase your heart rate to the cardio zone as well. The average person will burn about 600 calories during a one-hour session. How long do you have to be on an elliptical to do that?

According to healthfitnessrevolution.com, these are the ten top health benefits of roller skating:

1. Easy on the joints. Roller skating gives you same aerobic benefits without the strain to your joints.
2. Great cross training exercise.
3. Calorie/fat burning.
4. Good for mood health.
5. Builds muscles in your arms and legs.
6. Great for balance, agility and coordination.
7. Strengthens the heart. Roller skating is recognized as an aerobic exercise by the American Heart Association.
8. Improves endurance. Not only does it build muscles but it helps maintain muscle strength.
9. Can be done anywhere (but Chester is our favorite!)
10. Good for social health

If you’re worried about your roller skating skills, check out our skating lesson options. Whether your doctor said you need to work on your heart health or you are just want to try new things with your family in 2019, come down to Chester Skateland for healthy family fun.