The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 28

March 30, 2021 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 9 Have you ever sat and watched the slew of people gliding down the Miami Beach Boardwalk on their skates? They look to be doing it with such ease, but is it really that simple? Is it possible to get sweaty and be breathless while cruising on a pair of rollerblades? If you were anything like myself as a kid, you used to love skating, and maybe still enjoy taking on the streets and sidewalks on eight wheels every now and then. If that is the case, then I have some great news for you. Skating isn’t only fun, but is a great source of cardio and strength building. According to the Harvard Health Publications, you can burn almost the same amount of calories on skates as you do going for a jog. However, skating works different muscles than those worked whilst running. Inline skating focuses on your posterior muscles. So, for that to happen, instead of pushing your legs back as you do when you run, you push them out to the side. This ultimately strengthens the outside of your glutes more effectively than running does. Not only does skating work your legs, it also forces you to engage your core in an intense manner because of having to constantly regulate and stabilize your body weight on moving wheels. Rollerblading is considered a strong exercise for those that do not wish to put too much stress on their joints, which is something runners experience. Rollerblading is also good for people that just want to spice up their existing workout routine. It is an addictive exercise, but you shouldn’t make it your only form of cardio. The repetitive motion of skating could potentially aggravate your body as the bent position that you have to be in while doing the exercise isn’t optimal for your natural spinal alignment. If you do think that inline skating is something you’d be interested in, here are three ways to safely and functionally add it to your workout regimen. Turn up the intensity In order to enjoy the full benefits of inline skating, you have to be willing to get low and go fast. Elevate the burn in your legs by lowering your upper body while skating into a half squat position. You can also incorporate intervals by switching paces between going as fast as your body allows and then slowing down to a leisure-like pace. Once you become more advanced, hills are also an option if you seek to challenge your muscles even more. Just make sure they aren’t too steep or you’ll basically fly back down them. Correct form is everything Your force should come from pushing out to the sides with your legs. So, you have to center your weight back on your heels for maximum leverage. To stay balanced, Sports Finding Fitness: Upgrade your running to rollerblading Isabella Gomez Contributing Writer Every few weeks, I like to update the playlists I listen to when I exercise. It is essential for me to switch up the music I play so I can avoid getting tired of the same old tracks. Pulling from my multiple exercise playlists, I’ve included both current and not-so-current songs. If your workout routine is lacking new music, here is a quick list of tracks that might help keep your exercises fun and fatigue-free. “Blondes” by Peach PRC A recent signee to Republic Records -- whose roster includes big names like Drake, Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi -- this Australian singer does not miss a beat with this pop single. She urges her crush to “Call your boyfriend/ Tell him he did nothing wrong/ You just decided you prefer blondes.” Peach, at the time, was a platinum blonde, but as of 2021, she rocks pastel pink locks. “Matches” by Cash Cash & ROZES This song is the perfect warm up song. When the beat drops after the first verse, you will get hooked. ROZES sings, “You were made of matches and you burned me to the ground” and I get chills every time. The beat pumps energy into you that you didn’t even know you had. “Traum” by Cro Not only was this jam Germany’s #1 song in the summer of 2014, it is also just a great up-beat song. Traum means dream in German, so the song narrates the experiences the singer wishes they could go on with their love. I queue this track up for when I want to run for a few minutes straight. Time just ticks away. “Imma Be” by Black Eyed Peas You can laugh, but the Black Eyed Peas were ahead of their time. The year was 2009, and I had no clue I would be blasting this during my 2021 workout routine, imagining myself as Fergie. It reminds me of what life is going to feel like once everyone is vaccinated. “Telepatía” by Kali Uchis If you want to feel like you are walking through a field of sunshine and butterflies and far away from the gym you are currently in, add this song to your library right now. The song plays out in a mixture of both Spanish and English to showcase how Uchis really thinks and speaks. “Don’t Call Me Up” by Mabel Released in 2017, this hit climbed the charts in early 2019. This song is an anthem to all of the people who just want to shake a previous engagement they once had with a person. The “I’m better off without you” theme is evident in most of my playlists, so this gem had to be included. Get your sweat on with this playlist Siena Berardi Sports Editor With permission to print from S. Berardi with Kyrie, Durant and Jordan, nobody expected the Nets to offer a deal -- it was really something unbelievable -- but they did, and Harden already knew his answer. In addition, after the all-star break, another superstar joined the Brooklyn Nets. This time, it was Blake Griffin, who was expecting to sign a deal with any team with high aspirations of winning a ring. Today, the Brooklyn Nets have the best squad in the league, and nobody seems to be more eager to win a championship. They lead the NBA in scoring averaging 121.1 points per game and also in the field goal percentage with 50%. This season could be the beginning of something great or a complete blowout. The King continues to reign the NBA as the actual champion and is waiting for the contenders. Playoffs have not even started and I already have a favorite contender for the 2021 NBA season. This year, the Los Angeles Lakers, reigning NBA champions, are no longer the expected team to win the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy. Instead, it is the Brooklyn Nets. It is almost mid-season, and all NBA teams are starting to run up equations as the playoffs are getting closer and closer. The Nets, at the moment, are holding the second seed of the Eastern Conference with 25 wins and 13 losses behind the 76 Philadelphia Sixers. As the season comes to an end, it would not be a surprise to see Brooklyn on top of the standings. The Brooklyn Nets have never been champions in the history of the NBA. In the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 seasons, they came up short and lost the finals to the Lakers and the Spurs. Since then, this franchise has never again won a conference title nor semifinals. Yet, all odds started to change when the 2019 NBA Free Agency Moratorium started on June 30. Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan were ready to sign with the Nets. Durant signed a four-year deal worth $164 million, Irving signed a four-year contract of $141 million and Jordan, who came as a free agent like Irving, earned a four-year $40 million deal. Unfortunately, former Warriors and Cleveland champions both suffered from injuries that kept them away from playing last season. Although this move by the Brooklyn Nets franchise was formidable, they kept on working with the purpose of teaming up with more stars and pursuing their first NBA title. This year’s season began Dec. 22, 2020, which means that, on this same date, trades were made available until the deadline on March 25. Since trades started, there were huge moves including all-stars Russell Westbrook who was going to the Wizards, and John Wall, who was going to the Houston Rockets. Every year, there is a trade that has the most impact, like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to the Clippers or even Anthony Davis joining LeBron with the Lakers. This year was all about James Harden, the 2018 NBA MVP. Harden was dealing with an extensive and exhausting relationship with the Rockets. With the Houston Rockets, he maximized his game, and not only became MVP, but also was made all star nine times. Although such achievements speak for themselves, they mean nothing to Harden if there is not a ring in the making. As the relationship with the Rockets was getting tedious and there were no expectations on winning the Larry O’Brien trophy, Harden decided to start listening to other teams’ proposals. After closing a great deal On the Bench Santiago Diaz Finochietto Contributing Writer swing your arms back and forward at a slight angle, alternating and crossing to the other side of your body a little bit more than they do when you do a similar motion whilst running. As mentioned before, stay low and keep your knees bent. This is essential to the engagement of both your core and leg muscles. Suit up in protective gear If you’re a beginner, you’ll want to dress down in elbow pads, knee pads and a helmet. After all, you are going to be moving fairly fast on a set of wheels that slip and slide on any surface that is moderately flat. For optimal protection against falls that are bound to happen, make sure you wear those bulky handguards. What are you waiting for? Get your gear on and get to cruising. The Brooklyn Nets: My favorite contender