Warming up and stretching are important no matter what type of exercise you’re doing. You probably know how to prepare for activities like jogging or weight lifting, but do you know how to warm up for roller skating? If not, don’t worry! You’re in the right place, because we’re going to share some pro tips to help you prevent injury and have more fun on the rink. Keep reading to learn some of our favorite roller skating warmup stretches.

Roller Skating Warm Ups 101

Why Should You Warm Up Before Skating?

Have you ever wondered why people “warm up” before aerobic exercise? Did you think the phrase was figurative? It’s actually literal! A warm up exercise literally warms up your body, as in raising your temperature. It also gets the blood pumping—again, literally—revving up your cardiovascular system by increasing blood flow to the muscles. 

Roller skating is an aerobic sport, so it’s great for your heart. Make sure to get the blood pumping before you hit the rink!

 Warm Up Stretches for Roller Skating

• Get moving. Jog in place, do some jumping jacks, or even just walk around for 10 minutes. Whatever you do, keep it slow and steady. When you start stretching, don’t rush it. Try to hold each stretch for 30 seconds or more. 
• Stretch your calf muscles. Stand with one foot in front of the other, keeping your feet flat on the ground. On your front foot side, lean forward, bending your knee while keeping your other leg straight and your foot on the ground. The more you lean forward, the stronger the stretch is. Start slow and gradually increase as you feel the stretch. 
• Add this hamstring stretch. Stand in your chosen spot and bend at the waist, keeping your legs straight, while reaching for your toes. Hold this for 30 seconds and switch legs. 
• Do some quad stretches. Stand next to a chair or wall for support. Place one hand on the chair, and use the other to grasp your ankle and pull it behind you. This stretches out the quadriceps, aka the front thigh muscles. Hold for a count of 30 and switch legs. 
• Loosen up your hips. To stretch your hips, kneel on the ground in the “take a knee” position, aka one knee bent under you on the floor, and one out in front of you with your foot flat on the floor. Slowly lean forward until you feel the stretch. Hold for 30 seconds and alternate with your other side. 

Once you complete your warm up and stretching routine, you should be feeling nice and loose. Shake it out and lace up those skates. You’re all set and ready to hit the rink. 

There’s a moment in every skater’s life when they decide to buy their own skates instead of just renting them at the rink. But once you’ve purchased your roller skates, it’s not enough to lace them up and break them in. Oh no, you’re going to want to take it all the way and customize your skates. There are infinite ways to customize roller skates, but today, we’re going to break it down for you with some fun, easy, and unique ways to personalize your wheels. 

Creative Ways to Customize Roller Skates

Show Off Your Style

The limits of how to customize roller skates are subject only to your imagination. (And practical concerns too, of course.) These are some of the easiest ways to add some flair to your skates. 

• Colorful, glittery, or patterned laces
• Furry pom poms
• Lace charms and “skatelets”
• Decorative toe guards and lace locks
• Fun and expressive socks (OK, so socks are not actually part of your skates, but they’re an important piece of the puzzle!)

Optimize Your Ride

One of the best ways to customize roller skates is to create a setup that is uniquely tailored for you and the way you skate. For instance, if you like to jam skate, you’ll want to remove the toe stops and install jam plugs (aka dance plugs). These skate accessories are usually made from rubber or nylon acrylic, and they protect your skates (as well as the skating rink floor) from damage when you’re doing your fancy footwork. You may also want to switch to thinner wheels for added agility and freedom of movement. If you’re planning on skating for roller derby, you’ll probably want to adjust things like the plate mounting, truck tension, and even the way you lace up your skates. 

Trick Out Your Wheels

Changing your wheels isn’t always about functionality and performance. Sometimes, you just want a wheel makeover for the #aesthetic. Enter glow-in-the-dark wheels, colorful wheels, and even flashing light wheels! 

No matter what style you want to achieve with your roller skates, we can help! Join us at the Rainbow Roller Rink pro shop on your next visit, and feel free to ask questions. You can also view our catalog online and give us a call at 716-693-1100 to place your order.  

So, what’s your personal skate style? Whether it’s classic, feminine, bold, retro, or something in between, you’re sure to look like a rock star on the rink.

It’s important to warm up your muscles before any vigorous physical activity, and roller skating is no exception. But how exactly should you do that? Keep reading for some roller skating warm up tips from the pros at Rainbow Roller Rink. 

Why Are Warm Ups Important? 

According to the American Heart Association, 

A good warm-up before a workout dilates your blood vessels, ensuring that your muscles are well supplied with oxygen. It also raises your muscles’ temperature for optimal flexibility and efficiency. By slowly raising your heart rate, the warm-up also helps minimize stress on your heart.

In addition to the cardiovascular benefits, warming up reduces stress on your joints and tendons. It helps you to loosen up and reduces the risk of sprains and strains. Plus, if you do these warm up exercises regularly, you’ll probably notice an improvement in your flexibility over time! 

Roller Skating Warm Ups

Basic Squats

Inhale deeply, then exhale as you squat, keeping your arms straight forward and your head and knees aligned over your feet. Repeat until you start to feel the burn, and remember to take it slow. After each warm up exercise, take a water break to stay hydrated. 

Jump Squats

This warm-up exercise is just a slightly different version of normal squats. For these, start in the squat position with your arms straight in front of you. Jump and inhale while swinging your arms back. As you land, exhale and swing your arms forward again. Keep doing this for several minutes, focusing on forcefully exhaling with each landing. 

Crossover Squats

Start by facing forward with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms at your sides. Take a wide step forward across your body, while lowering yourself into a lunge position. As you move, bring your opposite elbow close to your front knee. Remember to exhale as you lunge and inhale as you return to your starting position. Alternate back and forth several times, until you feel the burn in your inner thighs. 

Hamstring Stretch

After putting your skates on, start by laying on your back with your knees bent and your skates flat on the floor. Raise your hips and prop yourself up with your hands. Your upper arms should be flat on the ground, while your forearms are up at a 90 degree angle. Roll your right leg out straight in front of you while keeping your hips in place and level. Roll it back and alternate with the left foot. Once you’re all warmed up and ready to go, it’s time for the fun to begin! Check out our skating schedule to plan your next visit to the rink. You won’t want to miss our fun events like Adult Retro Skate (18+) or Skate & Dance Fridays!

Have you ever heard the saying “You have to learn to walk before you can run”? Well, the same principle applies to birthday parties—you have to get the invitations right before you can throw an epic skating party! Check out these party invitation tips to learn how to do birthday party invitations for a kids birthday party or an adult celebration.  

Party Invitation Tips: Do’s and Don’ts

Some of the most common birthday party mistakes happen before the party even starts. Fortunately, you know better… Or you will after reading these do’s and don’ts!

DO Send Invitations As Early As Possible

Look, we’re all busy, and between school, work, sports, family, and extracurricular activities, it’s hard to find time for everything. Do your guests a solid and give them plenty of notice about your party plans. Generally 4-6 weeks is fine for birthday parties. If it’s a big party (think Sweet 16, 21st birthday, or another major milestone) and you want to make sure certain people can be there, you may want to clear the date with them ahead of time, or at least give them a longer lead time with your invitations. 

Of course, you can go too far in the other direction as well. Don’t send your invitations out more than a few months ahead of time, or your guests may just forget about the party altogether! After all, can you find a particular piece of mail from 6 months ago? Probably not. 

DON’T Put Form Over Function

Remember that the main purpose of party invitations is to actually invite your guests. Cute, personalized, themed invitations are fun, and can get people excited for the party. Just make sure you include all of the relevant information in a clear, legible way. Invitations should include not only the time, date, and location, but also:

•  Your child’s name and age
• The party theme (if applicable)
• Any preferences regarding gifts if you have them… Keeping in mind that not everyone will follow your lead. (No gifts, bring a canned food donation for charity instead of a gift, educational gifts only, etc.) 
• The party duration (Give an end time, not just a start time)
• The dress code if applicable. For instance, a skating party invitation should include a note that kids need to wear or bring socks that hit at the ankle or above. 
• Parking information or directions
• Whether or not the party is a drop-off event, or whether parents and siblings can hang out during the event.

Ideally, you’ll want to send both a paper invitation and a digital one. That way if the physical invitation goes missing in a backpack or purse, your guests still have a way to see all of the party information.
Ready to get the party rolling? Make a reservation online now!

Has there ever been a summer break as anticipated as this one? After the hardships of 2020’s global pandemic, many places in the U.S. are finally getting back to normal, which means a return to the fun activities we all missed out on last summer. People are getting vaccinated, and they’re ready to make up for lost time…Especially when it comes to kids who missed out on birthday parties with their friends!  

If you’re looking for ideas to throw an awesome birthday party for your child this summer, you’re in the right place. We’re sharing some of our “pro tips” gathered from years of hosting birthday parties in North Tonawanda, specifically summer birthday parties.  

Summer Birthday Party Tips

While summer is the unofficial season of fun, it can be hard to plan a birthday party during the season. Summer vacation plans, camps and extracurricular activities, and even the weather can make it hard to pull off a summer birthday party, but with a little ingenuity, you can make it work! Here’s how:

Plan ahead.

Don’t wait until the last minute to plan any summer events. If you do that, your potential guests will no doubt already have full schedules and may have to miss the party. Instead, decide on a date and time as early as possible. Reach out to us at  716-693-1100 to go ahead and make your party reservation, or book your party online. 

Once you’ve got your party booked, you can go ahead and send out invitations. Even if you plan to send paper invitations, it’s not a bad idea to text or email your guests right away. Most people are fine with electronic communication (or even prefer it), and the sooner you let them know, the sooner they can RSVP. It’s courteous to your guests, and also makes it easier for you to plan your party since you’ll know how many people are expected to attend.

Play it cool.

Summer weather is unpredictable, and outdoor activities always carry the risk of being rained out. However, even a perfectly sunny day can put a damper on the party. Summer temperatures can reach the high 90s, not to mention the humidity. Add to that the potential for mosquito bites, sunburns, gnats, and other outdoor annoyances, and it’s easy to see why indoor birthday parties are so popular! 

When you book a skating birthday party at Rainbow Roller Rink, your group can enjoy gathering in our climate-controlled building. Unlike other indoor activities, roller skating is active and exciting, so your party guests are guaranteed to be entertained. 

Pad your party list.

As we mentioned, summer parties can be challenging due to scheduling conflicts. If you want to make sure there are plenty of people at your party, consider expanding your guest list a bit. That way, any no-shows won’t leave too big of a gap and you can still enjoy celebrating with a crowd. Our party packages make it easy to host a party, and you can add additional guests for an extra fee. Of course, always take your child’s personality and needs into consideration when choosing who to invite to a child’s birthday party. 

Father’s Day is coming up next month, so don’t procrastinate! Figure out what you’re doing for Father’s Day now so you have plenty of time to get ready for the big day. And remember, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to show Dad you care; these affordable Father’s Day gift ideas will mean more than any fancy tech gift or expensive sports tickets ever could. (And hey, if you have the budget, why not do both?)

Affordable Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Get Together

Do you know what parents want more than anything else—especially when their kids are all (or almost) grown up? Spending time together! No amount of money can replace hanging out and making memories, so instead of buying your dad an object for your Father’s Day gift, plan a day to spend quality time together. These are just a few  ideas, but you can tailor the day to fit your dad’s unique interests!

• Go roller skating. Was your pops a roller disco divo back in the day? Take him to the skating rink for some nostalgic fun. 
• Get breakfast together. Treat your dad to his favorite breakfast, whether that’s at a local diner or your own kitchen. In the immortal words of Ron Swanson, “Give me all the bacon and eggs you have. Do you understand?”
• Catch a movie. Take your dad out for a movie of his choice, whether it’s a blockbuster action movie or an obscure screening at the local art cinema. You could even arrange a movie night at home by renting his favorite film and popping some popcorn. 

Get Handy

If you’re the crafty sort, why not make your dad a handmade gift? You don’t have to be an art prodigy or a master of power tools, either. There are plenty of DIY Father’s Day gifts that are beginner-friendly. Try building a custom birdhouse, embossing a custom leather keychain, crafting a wooden block photo holder for his desk, or making him a unique tie rack. 

Get Foodie

If you find your creative calling in the kitchen, you’ve got your Father’s Day gift in the bag. Just channel your inner chef to make your dad one of his favorite foods, or better yet, his new favorite food he doesn’t even know yet! There are so many good Father’s Day recipes out there, like bourbon bacon brittle, infused olive oil, or this Kansas City-style dry rub. 

Get Creative

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box for Father’s Day. These are some unique Father’s Day gift ideas that show you put thought into your gift. 

• Write down your favorite memory with him or experience together.
• Write him a list of all the reasons you’re proud of him.
• Get each member of the family to share their favorite memory with him and put them all together in a booklet.

However you celebrate Father’s Day, we hope it’s a good one!

Graduation season is here, and it’s time to show the grad in your life how proud you are of their accomplishments! Check out these graduation gift ideas that are creative, cool, and thoughtful. 

Cool Graduation Gift Ideas

A Party

High school, college, grad school, trade school—whatever the occasion may be, a party is a great way to celebrate the accomplishment! If you want to send your grad off with a bang, a skating party is the way to go. They’ll be able to enjoy a last hurrah and make some special memories with their school friends before going their separate ways. Roller skating parties are also family-friendly, so everyone can enjoy the fun, from younger siblings to grandparents.

We make parties a breeze, so you don’t have to stress about the details… And can actually enjoy the party along with everyone else! Check out our group party packages or rent the whole skating rink out for your group to have a private event. 

Tech Gifts

Technology gifts are always a hit, but they’re especially great for high school grads who will need a laptop for college. Find out exactly what they need to ensure the device meets the requirements for running whatever software they’re going to need, or give them a gift card for the amount so they can choose their own gift. Some other great tech gift ideas include: 

• Noise cancelling headphones
• Wireless bluetooth speaker
• Gaming keyboard or mouse 
• Wireless earbuds

A Trip or Experience

Big milestones deserve big gifts, so why not gift your grad with an experience they’ll remember forever? Plane tickets, airmiles, or an Airbnb gift card are great if they want to go on a trip with their friends. Choosing a destination and planning a trip is an awesome way to mark their journey into adulthood or “the real world.”
If a family vacation is more your style, let the graduate pick the destination or a big activity to do during the trip. Skydiving, parasailing, kayaking in a bioluminescent bay, visiting a museum or historical site—whatever they’re into, let them incorporate it into the trip. Just make sure the rest of the family knows there’s no whining allowed, because that’s a surefire way to ruin the experience. 

If a trip isn’t in the cards, a staycation experience can be great too! Buy them tickets to see their favorite band when they come through town, or to a performance at their favorite local theater. Even just a special day of hanging out can be fun and memorable. Let the graduate know you want to treat them to a day out and they can help you create a day filled with their favorite activities, restaurants, and other locations.  

Roller Skates

As we get older, it’s easy to become sedentary, especially for those who work in office or desk jobs. Give your graduate the gifts of fun AND fitness with a pair of roller skates! There are so many trendy options in skates these days, so you can find something to fit their style. Having their own skates can help them stay active and blow off stress when life gets hectic. We can help you pick the best pair of skates, so call us or come into our pro shop to learn more!

Roller skating and grooving to upbeat dance music go together like peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies, hearts and flowers, Kermit and Miss Piggy… Just sayin’, some pairings are iconic! There are plenty of amazing skate jams out there, from the throwback bops we play at Adult Retro Skate Night to the newest hits. While we love a good retro skate song, there are some recent hits that definitely deserve their place on roller skating playlists. Keep reading for 5 of our top songs to rock out to on the skating rink, in your car, or while singing into your hairbrush. 

The Latest and Greatest Skate Jams

https://youtu.be/TUVcZfQe-Kw

First up has got to be “Levitating” by Dua Lipa, featuring DaBaby. Dua Lipa’s first album was a hit, but she swerved the “sophomore slump” and delivered an arguably even better album with ‘Future Nostalgia’. This album is full of hits, but Levitating delivers an infectious mix of disco, pop, and rap. It’s honestly the perfect song to “roll, bounce” to with your friends. Don’t sleep on those handclaps. Evidently, we’re not the only ones to catch the funky skating vibe, as the music video even features a couple of dancing roller skaters.  

https://youtu.be/sJGSU0nXd-w

Next up: Victoria Monét’s “Experience” featuring Khalid and SG Lewis. This dreamy, shimmering disco ballad features drums, synths, and even horns, creating a major earworm that feels both nostalgic and very current. This bop was made to be a skating rink staple, as you can see from the be-sequined music video. 

https://youtu.be/6okxuiiHx2w

If this sounds familiar, you may have heard it before… Albeit in short bursts as a TikTok meme. This catchy skate song is “Baby I’m Yours” by Breakbot, featuring Irfane. While it’s been out for years, a lot of American listeners weren’t aware of it until its aforementioned TikTok infamy struck. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oygrmJFKYZY

OK, if you haven’t noticed a theme by now, disco’s back, baby! And we can’t help but include yet another Dua Lipa song, because she’s just killing it with the disco revival bops. “Don’t Start Now” is another skating rink-ready anthem, full of hand claps, synths, disco strings, and yes, “More cowbell!” The funky bassline is made for rhythm or shuffle skating, so grab some friends and start a line!   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMt8NbndXCo

To round out this list, why not just throw on Kylie Minogue’s latest album in its entirety? DISCO is the club queen’s fifteenth studio album, and it’s full of high-energy, danceable tunes. If you missed the live-streamed concert, don’t worry. You can still experience it on YouTube! 

At long last, you’ve got your brand-spankin’-new roller skates. You lift the lid off the box and survey the new skates in all their pristine glory. You’re so excited to lace them up and hit the skating rink, but wait! Before you do, take a few steps to protect your ankles while breaking in your new skates. 

How to Break in Roller Skates Without Ankle Pain

Just like a nice, new pair of boots, it’s essential to break in roller skates before wearing them for an extended period of time. Here at Rainbow Roller Rink, we’ve broken in innumerable pairs of skates over the years, so we’ve definitely learned what to do…And what not to do. These are some of our tried-and-true tips. 

Rock Your Socks

Socks are not just a hygienic precaution (although we do require all skaters to wear socks with our rental skates), they can also make a big difference in the comfort and fit of your skates. 

• Choose socks that are taller than the ankle cut of your skates. This will prevent the top of the skate from rubbing directly against your skin, which can cause chafing. 
• Choose the right thickness of socks. If your skates are on the tighter side (as they often are when brand new), opt for a thinner sock to leave more “wiggle room” for your toes. If your skates are on the bigger side, thicker socks (like those made for running or hiking) can help adjust the fit. 
• Usually people purchase their correct size of roller skates, so sock thickness doesn’t make or break the fit. However, if you’ve purchased a larger size of skate for your child to “grow into,” keep in mind that socks can only do so much. Do NOT stuff a rolled-up sock or anything else in the toe of the skate boot to fill the excess space. This can lead to chafing and blisters, and it will also make the environment in the skate hot and humid, which can lead to athlete’s foot. 

Adding Some Padding

No matter how good your socks are, sometimes you need a little extra padding for those hot spots like the heel, Achilles tendon, toes, bridge (top of foot), etc. In order to prevent blisters, purchase some moleskin padding and cut pieces as necessary to fit the areas that are most troublesome for you. The soft moleskin adds more padding and also reduces friction, allowing the sock and skate boot to slide more easily against each other. 

Give Yourself the Boot(ie)

These days you can find tons of ankle sleeves, booties, and braces to choose from, whether at your local big box store, pharmacy, or online. A simple, stretchy ankle sleeve is great for preventing chafing during the breaking-in period, but you can also choose a stiffer bootie or brace if you want additional ankle support. Opt for a seamless model if possible, as seams can be another cause of chafing. 
Ready to rock and roll? Head over to our schedule to see our public skating sessions, and join the fun at our North Tonawanda skating rink!

Do you need a kids birthday gift idea? Whether you’re trying to come up with a gift for a family member or a gift for your child to take to a friend’s birthday party, deciding what to gift can be oddly challenging! After all, most kids these days already have so much stuff. Do they really need another plastic toy to add to the clutter, or a new video game to keep them glued to the TV? Instead, why not give a handmade gift that you can customize perfectly for them? 

Handmade Birthday Gifts for Kids

Dress-Up Clothes

If you’re handy with a sewing machine, dress up clothes are always an awesome gift! The possibilities are endless, but here are a few classics to consider: 

• Capes: Perfect for superheroes, swashbucklers, vampires, and so much more!
• Masks: There are tons of cool DIY mask ideas out there, but these felt masks for kids are particularly neat. 
• Wings: Fairies, birds, and bugs, oh my! Let their imaginations fly with a set of DIY wings. 
• Dresses, Vests, or Cloaks: For an extra-special spin on this idea, head to your local thrift store and find some cool formal wear. Anything with bright colors, lace, sequins, or cool decorative elements will make it that much more magical for the kids who’ll be playing with it. Cut old prom or bridesmaid dresses down to a shorter length and you’ve got the perfect princess wardrobe. Or get creative and re-purpose a unique fabric or clothing item into a new, kid-sized dress up piece. Keep an eye out for fun hats, scarves, sunglasses, and purses, as kids love to accessorize their dress-up outfits!

Fort Building Kit

If you’re more comfortable with power tools than a sewing machine, a fort building kit is the ultimate gift that any kid will adore. There are lots of ideas out there, but we think this PVC set is great due to the relative ease of the project, the low cost, and the infinite possibilities for junior fort architects. Once the birthday kid learns how to put the pipes and connectors together, they can experiment with all kinds of structures, from a living room blanket hut for hanging out with the family pet, to a backyard tent where they can read, draw, or daydream.

Fake Food for Play Kitchens

Little kids just love a play kitchen, so if you know the birthday kid has one, why not stock them up with all the fake food they need to complete their restaurant vision? There are several clever tutorials online, from these play groceries made from scrap wood to this smorgasbord of felt foods. 

Good luck with your birthday gifting, and don’t forget that the best kids’ parties in North Tonawanda are at Rainbow Roller Rink!