Outdoor Cross Training (OXT) has become the hot topic in physical fitness circles. Imagine doing an activity in the summer and fall months that can tone the same muscle groups you use for winter sports like cross-country or down hill skiing.

All-terrain skating is poised to become the next Outdoor Cross Training sports fitness craze. Think of all-terrain skating as a combination of mountain biking, skiing and in-line skating packed into a single experience. Where traditional in-line skates are more like ice-skates with wheels, TrailSkate™ all-terrain skates manufactured by GateSkate, Inc. of Richland, WA are more like skis with wheels.

TrailSkate™ all-terrain skates follow in the footsteps of a number of other great recreational sports trends like mountain biking, snowboarding, and in-line skating. The TrailSkate™ all-terrain skate is designed to go over any type of surface including asphalt, dirt, gravel, grass and mountain trails. They roll easily over bumps, cracks and debris. Hand-controlled hydraulic brakes, located in the rear wheel of each skate, allow skaters to easily control speed and stop quickly while maintaining a comfortable, balanced upright body position.

The combination of high-pressure air-tires, flexible composite chassis and adjustable boot-binding system provide an extremely smooth low-impact ride delivering an excellent aerobic exercise equivalent to cross-country skiing.

If you are looking for a complete Outdoor Cross Training experience, TrailSkate all-terrain skates provide:

• A low impact exercise (low compression on the joints) and is recommended for intermediate and advanced fitness level exercisers.
• The same health and fitness benefits as Cross Country Skiing (when used with ski poles) and traditional In-line Skating.
• An aerobic exercise that will enhance the muscular strength and muscular endurance levels of the mid-torso muscle (abdominals and lower back) and lower body's muscle groups (hips, gluteals, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves).

In addition, all-terrain skating helps:

Swimmers and Cyclists who rely heavily on the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteal and hip muscles; all-terrain skating gives those muscle groups a tougher workout. Also, all-terrain skaters extend their legs more quickly than cyclists do, which increases leg strength.

Runners can benefit from all-terrain skating because the low-impact nature of the sport can help prevent overuse injuries. Since one has to push laterally to move forward, one can improve the balance, which is necessary for sports requiring lateral movements such as skiing and tennis.

TrailSkate™ all-terrain skates open a whole new world of outdoor cross training possibilities to a large cross-section of recreational enthusiasts including: downhill and cross-country skiers, water-skiers, snowboarders, skateboarders, skaters, mountain bikers, runners and hikers.