Rollerblade and PE4life, the advocate for quality health and fitness programs, have joined forces in an initiative to fight childhood obesity through fitness-oriented skating programs in schools, K-12, across the country. As part of the new partnership, Rollerblade is providing comprehensive skating packages (skates, helmets, protective gear, instructional videos and in-line skating curriculum) to each of the PE4life Academies across the country.

Rollerblade is also offering PE4life Academies 15% off any additional equipment purchases and also is giving all Academy trainees a 10% discount on Rollerblade equipment.

“We're thrilled to partner with PE4life in its efforts to get children active and involved in life-long physical fitness activities,” commented Nicholas Skally, marketing and public relations manager of Rollerblade USA. “Rollerblade was at the forefront of the New PE initiatives a decade ago with the development of Skate in School, and now we're in more than 1,000 schools nationwide with more than three million kids taught through the program.”

PE4life advocates the adoption of lifetime health and fitness activities that enable progress towards physical conditioning goals as students and later as adults. To date, PE4life programs have positively impacted 1.5 million schoolchildren across the country. That number is expected to grow significantly as PE4life begins to implement an aggressive expansion campaign.

“We are delighted to team up with Rollerblade and help provide schools across the country with an innovative, fun, skating program that will enhance the health of our nation’s students,” said PE4life President & CEO, Anne Flannery. “Rollerblade shares our philosophy that students’ long term health and wellness is best developed and ensured through quality physical education programs that focus on lifetime health and fitness activities. The Rollerblade Skate in School program certainly fits the bill.”

According to a study by the University of Massachusetts Exercise Science Department, skating has aerobic benefits that are greater than stair-stepping and almost as good as running. Moreover, in-line skating is a low-impact workout, producing less than half the shock to joints that running does, while still burning up to 360 calories in 30 minutes for a 150-pound skater.