Off-Ice Warm-Ups

[Mrs Redboots]

Someone was commenting in the Lessons/Practices thread that she needed a more effective off-ice warm-up. So I thought it was about time to have a thread - or is it "another thread"? - on this subject. Even if you don't normally warm-up off-ice, it's important to be able to do so for tests or competitions when you only have very limited on-ice warm-up time.

So what do people do to warm up off-ice? I know loads of people who skip, but I have given up trying (my knees!). I run through an aerobic/dance type warm-up which I partly got from the Mountain Cup off-ice session, and partly from all the usual "Warm-up" instructions in books - making sure every part of me is loose and warm, especially my legs. And recently doing some muscle-tightening exercises for my flabby arms, too.

It also occurs to me that when we go on to the ice, for the first couple of laps our blades aren't yet cold, and until they get cold, they feel, I find, blunter than they are. I wonder if anybody has any clever ideas on how to cool one's blades effectively prior to competition, and keep them cool between the warm-up and the actual performance?

[sk8pics]

Well, I jog in place for a few minutes and then run through my usual stretching routine (hamstrings, quads, calfs, achiles tendon, lower back). But if I want to make sure I can really skate freely very soon after getting on the ice, I also do an additional, dynamic, stretch for my hips. Stand straight, one hand out to the side, the other hand out to the side touching a wall or something for support. Swing one leg straight from forward to back getting as much height as you can while keeping the knee locked and toe turned out and pointed. You have to work hard to get the height while not allowing yourself to buckle forward. My coach is big on this and is always after me to get more height but without sacrificing form. I do 10-12 on each leg and then repeat. And then I feel really good to go!

Pat

[Figureskates]

Good questions, Annabell.

I have even more difficult problem. I have a rebuilt left knee that takes about 10 minutes to kick in before I can skate half way decently. In that case I usually arrive early enough before a lesson and put my skates on and ealk around with my guards on to get the ole knee primed up. When I took my last test, after the warmup session, my coach just kept me walking around to keep the knee limber before I hit the ice for the test.

I hate the first time you step on the ice with warm blades. It is worse this time of year when the temperatures are really hot. You just melt into the ice until the blades cool down. I don't know of any way around that problem other than letting the laws of Physics prevail!!

[Isk8NYC]

I usually stretch my feet before I put on my skates, so I don't get cramps in them in the first 15 minutes.

I do lunge stretches, "flat back" stretches and a few other aerobics stretches.

Then, use the wall as a "barre" to stretch legs behind and in front. (A spreadeagle position feels good, too.

Finally, I also do gentle swinging movements with a free leg. In addition to front-to-back, I also do side-to-side. Be careful you don't kick the foot that's standing on the ice.

[icenut84]

I have a ten-minute walk (partly uphill) to get to the rink, so I'm usually relatively warm when I arrive. I also do some stretches before I get on the ice - mainly leg ones, hip/groin area ones, and I also loosen my back, neck and shoulders a bit etc. The stretches I do are ones I learnt when I did gymnastics, plus a couple of things I learnt from skating. To limber up a bit and make sure I feel good, I also do some off-ice squats - just bending my knees to a crouch and standing up again a few times. I also usually hit the spiral position (on both legs) off-ice, holding onto the barrier.

[newfieskates]

Where I skate we have to be at the rink at LEAST 20 minutes before we go on the ice. We have to run around the arena twice and then do streches . Usually we arrive 30 minutes before we go on the ice so we can get as many streches as possible in and then were ready to go get our skates on 10 minutes before we go on the ice.

There is also Cardio and areobics that we do in betwen our freeskates and they are with personal trainers which work us really hard.

[mikawendy]

Well, I jog in place for a few minutes and then run through my usual stretching routine (hamstrings, quads, calfs, achiles tendon, lower back). But if I want to make sure I can really skate freely very soon after getting on the ice, I also do an additional, dynamic, stretch for my hips. Stand straight, one hand out to the side, the other hand out to the side touching a wall or something for support. Swing one leg straight from forward to back getting as much height as you can while keeping the knee locked and toe turned out and pointed. You have to work hard to get the height while not allowing yourself to buckle forward. My coach is big on this and is always after me to get more height but without sacrificing form. I do 10-12 on each leg and then repeat. And then I feel really good to go!

Pat

I do pretty much the same off-ice warmup, except for my leg swings, I use a bent free leg first (to focus on the hip rather than the posture), then sometimes I do it with a straight free leg.

I also usually try to do push-ups before AND after skating, two sets of 10 each time. I find otherwise I don't do them very often during the week and my upper body gets lazy. I *try* to do the harder pushups that focus on the triceps (hands directly below shoulders instead of wide to the side) but I'm not very good at those.

I also roll my feet over a tennis ball and use a theraband to flex and point my ankle and toes. If my feet aren't warmed up when I get into my boots, when I first skate around, my laces suddenly feel too tight. I think it must be because the circulation to my feet increases and if I'm already laced, I feel bound in.

[Isk8NYC]

I also roll my feet over a tennis ball and use a theraband to flex and point my ankle and toes.
What a great idea! I usually just "point and flex" and let my heels hang over the end of a step.

[sk8pics]

What a great idea! I usually just "point and flex" and let my heels hang over the end of a step.

I do the same sort of stretch, and I wanted to add that if you let your heels hang over the edge of a step with your legs straight, it gives you more of a calf stretch, but if you also do it with your knees bent, it will give your achilles tendon area a stretch, too.

Pat

[TashaKat]

BEFORE PRACTISE:

Hot chocolate and chat

COMPETITION/TEST WARMUP:

Wander round for about 30 seconds then stand at the barrier and chat with coach (they would never let me actually get OFF the rink).

I am reknowned for not doing the 'conventional' warm up. I find that my time is better spent being quiet in a corner somewhere than batting round the rink doing every element (and freaking myself out if I mess one up) and generally working myself up into a lather.

[icenut84]

Lynne - don't you warm up at all? If not, make sure you don't injure yourself! Which you could do, if your muscles aren't warm/stretched at all before you start skating.

[TashaKat]

Lynne - don't you warm up at all? If not, make sure you don't injure yourself! Which you could do, if your muscles aren't warm/stretched at all before you start skating.

No, I don't. My 'warm up' is getting on the ice and skating. I've never warmed up for ballet, dancing, gymnastics, acrobatics! I know that most people will be 'shock horror 8O ' at this but it's how I feel comfortable.

I've never (from the age of 4 when I first started ballet to now) had an injury from not warming up. It works for me, the one time that I DID warm up (at my first test when coach made me) I skated appallingly.

Norty, norty Lynne ........

Disclaimer Please do not attempt to replicate anything at home that you have seen in this message. Lynne is trained in this and to copy without adequate training can be injurious to your health :??

[kisscid]

I am almost always LATE for ice time. I am either coming from work or from yoga class. If I'm coming from Yoga I'm already warmed up and raring to go...But from work is the harder one. I usually arrive with just enough time to lace my boots and get on the ice. When this happens I do some slow laps focusing and pointing my toes and bending my knees. I gradually build up speed. Once I have increases my breathing I stretch my legs by doing toe touches and then some deep knee bends while I'm still circling the ice. I stretch my arms out a bit too. the I goto the "wall" and stretch the Calfs and hamstrings, achillies. Then I do more laps until my coach calls me over for my lesson. I have a relativley short time to do this in, but so far I have not hurt myself.
Cid