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.

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.

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.

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.

As rollerbladers, we put a lot of stress on our joints, muscles, and our overall physical well being. Most of us start blading at a young age and don’t think about stretching, or eating well, or even taking care of injuries. The fact of the matter is, you don’t really notice your injuries that much when you’re young. You can recover faster, and you are more interested in learning the newest grind, or lacing the big handrail in a session, than preparing your body for the torment you put it through.

This Blading Wellness series is dedicated to bringing awareness to taking care of your body. We were lucky enough to have Corey Grantham take the initiative, and seek out some pro’s at the Montreal Classic this year. First up is Mike ‘Murda’ Johnson and his take on blading wellness. Corey and I got to sit down and have a chat with him, and see what an experienced pro has to say. Watch the video, and form your own conclusions. This will be a 5 part series; we also have perspectives from Rob G, Brandon Smith, Erik Bailey, and Jon Julio. Be sure to check back for more interviews.

- Dave

Blading Wellness Part One: Mike ‘Murda’ Johnson Interview from RollToronto.ca on Vimeo.