It’s undeniable that millions of people don’t get enough exercise in their lives every week. The American Heart Association recommends at least twenty minutes a day of vigorous exercise three times a week, but many people fall short week after week, despite the fact that the time commitment is small and fun cardio exercises actually exist.

One of the reasons many people don’t follow an exercise routine is that they dread the thought of huffing and puffing for half an hour every other day, doing an activity they hate. Additionally, traditional cardio exercises like running and sports can be very hard on the joints, especially the knees, and for many people, cardio training like this is out of the question.

However, with skating, your feet are on the ground almost the whole time, which is a smooth experience for your joints, and you’re able to go faster on wheels or ice than you can running, so it’s a more fun experience in general. Skating is a great workout for your quadriceps and hamstrings, and if you make an effort, you can also incorporate your biceps, triceps, and shoulder muscles while you skate to give them a thorough workout as well.

For those afraid of falling or with poor balance, roller skates are extremely easy to balance on due to their dual row of wheels. Stopping is simple, and usually involves pressing forward or backward to let the “brake” scrape the ground and slow you down. Skates are best used on very smooth surfaces, such as rinks, linoleum, and smooth concrete surfaces. For people interested in group activities, roller derby is exploding in popularity as a sport, and an entire game can be an exhausting workout but very fun.

For those looking for speed or a more multi-purpose option that can also be used as a form of transportation (once you’re able to stop consistently, that is), inline skates, or roller blades, are a more streamlined version of skates that usually provide more of a workout than roller skates, simply because they aren’t used on as smooth of surfaces, and you will actually have to get your quads burning to get traction on bumpy surfaces.

Ice skating is another skating alternative that may depend on your proximity to a rink to determine how feasible an option this is. Holding yourself upright on the thin blades is a workout in and of itself for many people, but the satisfaction of learning to skate, turn, and stop on the ice is undeniable. Many ice rinks offer arrangements where skaters who are good enough to teach younger children the basics will earn free ice time for themselves to skate. And if you do enjoy ice skating, you can join a hockey league and get inexpensive ice time as well.

Next time you find yourself dreading exercising, try to expand your horizons a little and look for activities that are genuinely fun that will get your heart rate up at the same time. You will be a healthier and happier person for your cardio workouts.