Endurance is an important component for figure skating. During a long or short program, the demands of the elements and movement skills can often leave an athlete feeling winded and fatigued. Although practice time on the ice helps increase endurance, it can also be filled with stops and starts which can disrupt the building of endurance. Working out on cardiorespiratory machines, such as treadmills, elliptical trainers, or stationary bicycles, can help with endurance. Outdoor exercising such as rollerblading or jogging can also increase endurance. It is important to find out which type of exercise works to sustain energy without depleting the body or causing excess fatigue. It is advisable to work with a certified trainer or instructor to choose the correct training tool, to have instruction on proper form, and set guidelines for progressing the duration of each exercise. Recovery periods are mandatory in any form of training. Proper nutrition, rest, and sleep will all aid in recovery and allow an athlete to continue the demands of training.
Skating
Skating focuses on flexibility, balance, core strength, agility, and speed. Stretching and practicing with a trainer are important to avoid common injuries such as ankle and hip sprains. Protect ankles from injury by wearing the right sized skate.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredIt is advisable to receive proper instruction to attain basic skills and techniques first. A certified instructor can help with basic skills and give instruction on stopping, striding, and turning. It is best to have a partner or more experienced skater with you when starting out. It is also important to have good equipment that is properly maintained. Wheels and brake pads should be checked for wear or misalignment. Protective gear should be worn including a helmet and elbow and knee pads. Attention should be paid to the type of surface the skater uses. Roads or paths with sand, oil, or water should be avoided if possible. Core and balance exercises should also be incorporated before any activity or sport to increase skills and prevent injury. An example of a beginning core exercise is a prone-plank, or plank. To perform this exercise, begin face down on the floor propped up on the forearms and the balls of the feet. The elbows should be below the shoulders and the feet hip to shoulder-width apart. With the abdominals braced and gluteals contracted, raise the hips off the ground keeping one line from head to heels. Hold this position without dipping or lifting the spine or hips for five seconds, and the return to start position. Repeat up to 12 times. An example of a beginning balance exercise is a single-leg balance. To perform the single-leg balance exercise, stand on two feet with the feet and knees facing straight ahead at shoulder-width apart. Keep the hips in a neutral position. With the navel drawn-in and gluteals tight, brace the body, and lift one leg directly beside balance leg. Keep the hips and shoulders level with no tilting. Hold for five to twenty seconds, slowly return, and repeat on opposite leg. You can progress this exercise by balancing for longer periods of time or reaching the floatong leg out in front of you and to the side to make the balancing more challenging. -
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredTo improve ankle strength and prevent injury it is important to improve proprioception, or the feed back you get from the ankle joint. You can do this by performing a superset of a strength exercise immediately followed by a stabilization exercise that both involve the ankle joint. This type of training requires the use of the following acute variables: 2-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions using a medium tempo for the strength exercise and a slow tempo for the stabilization exercise; rest for 30 seconds between supersets. An example workout to strengthen ankles is: 2 sets of 10 repetitions of calf raises on a machine supersetted with 2 sets of 10 repetitions of single-leg squats. Follow this group with 2 sets of 10 repetitions of seated calf raises supersetted with 2 sets of 10 repetitions of single-leg step-ups to balance. To make the strength exercises more difficult, you can increase the amount of weight you use as resistance. To make the stabilization exercises more difficult, you can stand on less stable surfaces such as a half foam roll, airex pad, or dyna disc. By doing these exercises you can improve ankle joint stability and increase the muscle, tendon, and ligament strength of the ankle joint.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answered
This depends on the individual coach and the program in which you participate. Usually, on-ice conditioning includes working on specific elements and movements needed to skate, to prepare a program, and to work toward competition or performance. An on-ice coach dedicates time solely to these elements and skills, and rarely has time to work on other strength and conditioning skills. However, these skills are very important and can contribute to greater success as a skater or athlete. This is the reason most skaters have off-ice coaches or trainers. Off-ice lessons include working on skills of postural enhancement, total-body strength, flexibility, power, and speed. Therefore, it is typically necessary to participate in strength and conditioning off the ice.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredThe most important factor for skaters is to have strong legs to perform the high power demands that skating creates. The endurance needed to maintain this power throughout your routine or race is also crucial. Your off-ice program should have a combination of short power intervals, hill climbs for leg strength, and longer workouts for building cardiovascular endurance. The short intervals can be completed on equipment such as a versa climber or airdyne bike, where you can generate power quickly and then recover to repeat the intervals. Hill climbs are best on a stair machine or bike where you slowly add workload (watts, level) to create total-leg fatigue before repeating. The endurance workouts can be at a lower intensity to promote recovery and an aerobic base. Training on equipment that will reduce leg impact, like an elliptical or walking on a treadmill, is ideal.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredRest is very important after a workout especially if the workout was particularly strenuous. Getting a good night's sleep of at least eight hours will also help with recovery. In addition, receiving a massage, using a foam roller, and staying on a good nutrition plan are all useful tools for recuperation.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredFalling is a part of the learning and practicing process of skating, especially while jumping. Good pads should be used to protect the areas of the hips and buttocks and to help prevent injury. It is impossible to pad all areas of the body that may receive bruises, but the hips and buttocks tend to hit the ice the most. Attaining good skills and techniques will eventually lessen the amount of falls you experience. These skills learned from a qualified instructor or coach.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredInterval training is very effective for a sport such as skating because of its anaerobic and aerobic demands. In skating there are times that you are setting up for the next move and could be at a low intensity and times you will need to perform at a high intensity for repeated bouts. The high intensity demands can be trained on the ice using different intervals. For cardiovascular overload, perform circle routes around the ice. These can be repeated sprints followed by a quick recovery. The goal is to do the sprints at the same high-intensity level, so using a heart rate monitor to gauge intensity or timing each sprint will provide helpful feedback. The other type of intervals are line drills. These drills require sprinting from different lines on the ice in a linear pattern. These intervals will not only work the cardiovascular system but will also overload the legs because of the acceleration and deceleration required to stop and start at each line.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredHeart rate training is useful for any sport because it will provide feedback on the intensity of the training session. This gauge of intensity will help determine the demands that you put your self through when skating.
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National Academy of Sports Medicine answeredWith the emphasis on skaters performing more technical jumps, spins, pairs, dance lifts, and other elements on-ice, the need for off-ice strength and conditioning training has increased. Skaters are performing more programs and competing more frequently throughout the year. Conditioning on cardio equipment will help develop the leg strength and cardiovascular system while reducing overuse injuries. Through short interval work you can build speed and power, which will help with jumps and landings. The cardiovascular benefits will help during a long season to maintain the endurance that is needed to train and perform.