Medical Symptoms of Longboarding Withdrawal

[seagreen]

I bought my first longboard in May of '07. I had never touched a skateboard or snowboard or anything like it before that day. So imagine my surprise when my chronic knee pains (in my non-push foot) went away over the next week, as I fumbled around, learning how to push, turn, footbreak etc.

Rode my happy-go-lucky commuter all summer as a commuter, also hit a few random garages, taught myself to safety slide. Never had a knee pain! 2 years of physio got its ass kicked by a hunk of bamboo.

Now its January, and the damnable Ontario weather has forced my beloved four-wheeled nurse to stay at home. And with that, knee pains return, worse than ever. My MRI should go down in the next 6 weeks, and I'm in line for surgery, in case something is really fucked.

BOTTOM LINE OF IT:

don't ever stop longboarding. withdrawal can seriously affect your health.

[Zacharias]

I agree, I feel alot healthier. Being a guy who was never big into playing sports, I figured if I only had to use 1/5 of my limbs, 75% of the time, it would be the sport for me. In reality, my core strength and balance is better, my legs are stronger, and I'm more flexible and in tune with my body. I have back problems going back from my carny days and the pain  has considerably lessened over the period I have been longboarding.

Sorry to hear about your knee(s), I hope nothing is serious, I haven't skated with you yet d00d! don't crap out!
what did you do to it in the first place?

[Directive0]

Anyone else notice one part of their left leg getting stronger then the other, while another part of your right leg getting stronger then the other?

[seagreen]

Zach forsure longboarding is a great way to get/stay fit. It works on almost everything in the body.

well the chronic knee thing was because of skiing (bad reputation for knees) and sailing (REALLY hard on most of your body. especially knees). i dunno whats going to happen because of this. no worries though, i've resorted to pushing slowly around my basement. its carpeted, so i'm not flying, and its small, but its making a difference. although it could be the brace and the cocktail of pills i'm taking, but trying to cut out

and yeah D0, my non-push leg is getting pretty ripped from the constant squats of a topmount. my push leg is getting alot more defined as well. its kinda weird to have two different legs.

[Justus]

Anyone else notice one part of their left leg getting stronger then the other, while another part of your right leg getting stronger then the other?

Definitely. During the fall when I was riding more, I could even see the difference in my thighs and one pant leg felt quite a bit more snug. I guess that's a pretty good reason to learn to ride switch, but I have trouble putting in the time. You should have seen my right arm after a summer of scooping ice cream...

[Andrew75a]

yeah i had its slightly from rowing before and longboarding only makes it worse, luckily this year i have been switch pushings legs ever second push or so and it seems to work very well but i still footbrake at high speed with my usual foot so it is still a bit larger.

the biggest medical symptom of longboard withdrawal is gear buying and gear accumulation also known as GAS (gear accumulation syndrome)


and yes i do have GAS

[robc]

I've got crappy knees too- one thing my physio recommended, and which seems to help, is a wobble board- that might be a good off-season replacement for the skateboard.
http://www.fitter1.com/Catalog/Category/63/Products.aspx

[mrpunch]

^^ What does aboriginal music have to do with your knees?!?

[forwatever]

I always thought the cure for a lack of the ability to longboard is to go for a good run..

[Chromizone]

I too have GAS. I've picked up a new set of: bearings, wheels, trucks and the following: Old school 80's complete, New Hosoi Pool Deck, 4 Ply super thin deck, Land Yachtz DH deck, Mini Logo Blank deck, Banana board, AND last but most certainly not least, my Kracked Skulls Scimitar. It's quite the jump in quiver size when you consider that I only had one standard deck and one LB (skull skates Flowdart) before the winter hit. Now I want to mount up the LY DH, refinish my Skull Skates, and ride the crap out of the scimitar. The other decks are mostly for run, with the exception of the Mini Logo which is for finally learning street basics (Ollie's, kick flips, that stuff. Never picked up those skills.)

[Watts]

My legs were massively lopsided at the end of last season.  Over the course of the winter I've been really sick and lost a lot of weight (25lbs).  My body has started to eat its own muscle and now both of my legs are the same size... skinny as hell.  My leathers don't fit anymore and I'm worried my kneepads won't either.  SUCKS!

[Ponyta]

What I notice is how my legs change, for sure,
but what surprises me most is is how ripped
my shoulders get from all the balancing.

Finally, a nice side-effect of lotsa longboarding
is a nice shapely ass. 

[robc]

^^ What does aboriginal music have to do with your knees?!?

Heh! Nor that kind of wobble board. Although there's evidence that it cause you to grow a spare one.
before:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy5KjaAS7nY
after:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJleJbn9G6Y&feature=related

[seagreen]

i wish i had such a bad case of GAS

so my MRI is scheduled for Sat. Feb 9
woohoo!

can i get a set of leathers made with one leg bigger than the other? and a shapely ass?