As summer approaches, students begin to leave the depths of the gym and venture out seeking new and fun ways to break a sweat. One of the ways that some Benilde-St.Margaret’s students stay active during the warmer months has been an activity that can bring people together and is continually growing in popularity: rollerblading.

Rollerblading allows students to get some exercise in the summer while maintaining a social aspect. “It’s better than sitting on my butt all summer which is what I would be doing with the rest of my time. I’ll go for an hour or so, I’ll go to Lake Calhoun, they have the best people watching and it’s a great way to hang out with friends, and we’ll go around the lake once or twice,” said junior Francesca Peck.

Plenty of places around the Twin Cities area offer entertaining paths to rollerblade on. “When I am rollerblading with [my friends], we always go around Lake Calhoun, but when I’m alone, I usually go around the other Minneapolis lakes like Lake of the Isles, Cedar Lake and Lake Harriet. The sidewalks around the lakes are really smooth so it makes it easier to rollerblade on,” said junior Eleanor Raether.

Rollerblading can be a light activity or an intense workout, and the health benefits that come along with rollerblading include burning calories and increasing cardio resistance. “Rollerblading can be considered a good cardio workout if you actually go fast and keep a good pace. It can be a good workout to tone your legs and your butt,” said Raether.