5 Off Ice Exercises For Figure Skaters
Posted on - 17th November 2022
Most of us don’t have the luxury of owning an ice rink, so practising at the gym or home is the next best thing! Generally, ice skating takes place on ice, but off-ice practise is just as important for improving overall performance. Whether you are a beginner at ice skating, or an experienced figure skater, there are many off-ice exercises that you can benefit from.
In this article, Olympique will take you through 5 exercises to practise ice skating without being on the ice!
Split Stretch
Mastering the split position is a fundamental skill in figure ice skating. It is the building block to more complex moves such as the famous split jump. The split stretch is a great way to increase flexibility and strengthen your hamstrings, glutes, and hip flexor muscles. Start off at a half split and then slowly graduate into a full version. Learning how to perform a split jump on ice requires plenty of off-ice training.
Long Jumps
This is the easiest exercise you can do off the ice and requires no equipment. The ability to push off the ice and perform high score jumps is crucial. Long jumps will help to perform the acrobatics on the ice. During this exercise, there are two parts to focus on, the takeoff, and the landing. Just like doing any complex move on the ice. A good position for taking off is just as important as a successful landing. This also is an ideal exercise for beginners while learning the ice skating basics.
HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training)
Without cardio strength, skaters perform moves and tricks at a slower pace. HIIT involves short periods of high-intensity exercise with resting period or low intensity exercise in between. Including HIIT workouts into your skating routine such as interval sprints improves your cardiovascular endurance over time. This means, your heart and lungs will become stronger and your body will be able to perform for longer without burning out.
Dead Bug
Core strength comes from the abdominal and back muscles. These muscles work together as the body’s centre point for balance. In figure skating, skaters need a strong core to maintain stability and maintain a good position when performing jumps and spins, control of stroking, and crossovers.
Without strong core strength, a skater would not be able to master these techniques. The dead bug is one for the popular core strengthening exercises. This exercise can help skaters to build up core strength, develop coordination, and strengthen the connection between mind and muscles.
Yoga
Ice skating requires extremely good and consistent balance on one foot and both feet while on blades. Some people are natural skaters and ballerina's. But if not, improving balance is essential. One way to strengthen your balance and flexibility is to start yoga. Yoga involves meditation, stretching, breathing exercises and using your core muscles to get out of yoga poses. Yoga is perfect for skaters to practise on days of rest. Ice skating is a very physical sport but it's important to allow your body to recover from intense sessions and competitions.
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