Alexis Women's Fashion Dress - Elegant & Comfortable for Parties, Weddings & Special Occasions

I have really bad shin splints so had to give up jogging and gained about twenty pounds. I was looking for a low-impact aerobic workout that I could do outside and with relatively little and/or inexpensive equipment, and decided to take up skating again. (Being a child of the '90s I thought I could get back into skating relatively easily. I was half right.)A few things:1.) These skates sit MUCH higher than what I skated on back in the day. In a rink. That took some getting used to.2.) These wheels are not suited for asphalt, but do very well on a smoothly paved surface like sidewalks and the paved nature trail near my home.3.) I find these comfortable in the boot (fits true-to-size), but would recommend either high socks or long athletic pants to cushion around the calves as it bites there just a bit.4.) Go ahead and buy knee/elbow/wrist pads and a helmet while you're purchasing this. I only hit the ground once really hard while I was getting used to these things, but once was enough. I was very happy that the deep scratches I earned were on my guards and not my body. Also, fall forward, not back. Better to sacrifice your kneepads than your tailbone.5.) If you're concerned -- as I was -- that the skates will do too much of the work and you won't be able to work up a sweat or get in a good cardio workout: Do. Not. Fear. The ride was smooth and easy, the wheels were quite fast, but my legs, butt, core, and lungs were screaming after a few miles. This is an EXCELLENT workout. And as long as you come to an agreement with gravity, very low-impact! ;)6.) Go ahead and invest in these even if you're new to skating. The learning curve isn't that high, and better to invest in a good pair of skates once rather than buy an inexpensive, lesser-quality pair to start with and THEN have to upgrade. Money well spent.