_Blading Wellness Part 5: Jon Julio

If you’re a rollerblader and you don’t know who Jon Julio is, then something is wrong. Jon is up there with the top contributors to rolling as a sport. He has inspired so many since the beginning, and is continuing to do so today.

Corey, Guy and I sat down with him after the Montreal Classic to talk about blading wellness. This is the fifth and final part of our series, and we have covered a lot of important topics. We’ve talked about stretching, eating well, taking supplements, and protecting your body to name a few. Jon doesn’t go into specifics, but he mentions an important fact; you need to know what you’re capable of. Blading is evolving to a new level, where stunts and hammers aren’t the only way to go. Style, originality, and difficulty are gaining the most respect. Throwing yourself can get you noticed, but it can also get your seriously hurt.

So, to wrap it up I’d like to say thanks to anyone who has followed this series. I enjoyed covering it, and I hope you have learned something along the way. Take care of your body, so you can continue rolling as long as you’d like to.

- Dave

Blading Wellness Part 5: Jon Julio Interview from RollToronto.ca on Vimeo.

_Blading Wellness Part 4: Erik Bailey

This is the fourth part in our blading wellness series, and this time Corey interviewed Erik Bailey after the Montreal Classic.

Erik had a great perspective on his personal health, and even said that he was feeling stronger than ever these days. He believes in stretching, and even noted using glucosamine to help your joints.

Another hot topic in that Erik brought up was the use of helmets – use them to protect your melon, or stay hip and ventilated. Anyone who watches an edit from time to time can say that a number of street skaters have chosen to wear helmets on a regular basis. I believe that it’s a personal choice, and if you feel comfortable with it then you’re smarter than the rest of us who aren’t. Canada’s very own Sean Knight has been rocking one in most of his monthly edits. He just figured that he was doing crazy shit, so why wouldn’t he wear a helmet. For some people it may not make sense, but when you skate hard and push your limits you need to take precautions. So for all those kids out there throwing down tricks on drop rails that you just learned yesterday, you should seriously consider wearing a helmet.

Overall, Erik had a number of positive things to say so check out the interview.

- Dave

Blading Wellness Part 4: Erik Bailey Interview from RollToronto.ca on Vimeo.

_Blading Wellness Part 3: Brandon Smith Interview

This is the third part of our series that promotes blading wellness, and ensuring that rollerbladers take care of their body. This time Corey and I sat down with Brandon Smith after the Montreal Classic.

As most of your know, Brandon Smith is an extremely experienced rollerblader. He always seems to have complete control every time he skates.

A recurring theme in our conversation with Brandon was stretching, and how important it is. Most bladers don’t realize how much it can help you to stretch before you skate, and that it’s actually most important to stretch after you skate. Stretching afterwards relaxes all your muscles and prevents soreness the next day. A good 20-30 minute stretch when you get home after a long session will make a huge difference the next day. For more information check out this article on about.com ‘When to Stretch – Why Experts Recommend Athletes Stretch After Exercise’

- Dave

Blading Wellness Part 3: Brandon Smith Interview from RollToronto.ca on Vimeo.

_Blading Wellness Part 2: Rob G

This is the second part of a series we’re doing to promote blading wellness, and encourage rollerbladers to take care of their bodies. After the first interview with Murda at the Montreal Classic, Corey Grantham convinced Robert Guerrero to sit down with us and share his insights on blading wellness. Rob was a very talkative interviewee, and had a lot of personal experiences to talk about. He strongly believes in stretching and eating well, so we had lots to talk about right off the bat.

One topic that Rob continued to visit was taking care of your joints. He didn’t mention this in his interview, but I thought I would mention the use of glucosamine. I have recently started taking it on a regular basis, to see if it has any effect on the wellness of my joints. The idea here is that if you take a supplement to improve lubrication in your joints, that it will have a positive effect on your body, and therefore improve your skating. But does it work? Thats hard to say. Some people say it does, and some avoid it. It’s hard to measure this sort of thing. One thing you can ask yourself is can you afford to pay about 40 bucks a month to take a pill that might help your body feel better? Is it worth it? Thats up to you.

Rob talks about a number of different things you can do to keep your body in shape – from martial arts training, to eating well, and balancing your mind with your body. But enough out of me, watch the interview and I’m sure you’ll come to your own conclusions.

- Dave

Blading Wellness Part 2: Rob G Interview from RollToronto.ca on Vimeo.