Ice-skating is so popular among families in Singapore that you can often find kids as young as 3 hitting the rinks at Kallang and Jurong.

This way of moving across the ice dates back thousands of years — the first skates were in fact made of bones, strapped to the feet of people crossing frozen rivers and lakes. The steel skates you see today were invented by the Dutch in the 1200s, and are much easier to navigate the ice with.

Besides being a terrific way for the family to bond, ice-skating offers plenty of health benefits:

Trains your balance

With an incredibly slippery surface, it’s no surprise you’ll need strong core muscles to help you stay on your feet. Skating can really improve your balance in a fun and effective way.

Builds your stamina

It may not train your cardiovascular system the way running a marathon would, but an ice-skating session will surely give your heart and lungs a good workout, as they feed your muscles with the added oxygen needed.

Builds leg muscles

Ice-skating helps even the littlest ones build strong muscle tone. The focus on lower body movements will soon help them develop strong calf muscles.

Improves flexibility and agility

You need quick leg movements and dexterity to manoeuvre on the ice, which trains your suppleness and flexibility.

Trains your brain

Gliding across the ice requires high concentration and spatial awareness. As junior masters the movements, it’ll stretch his mental capacity.

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