OK I admit I am guilty of not warming up off-ice before skating, a very sloppy 30 second stretch is usually it. Know how crucial it is, just not committing myself into it. (maybe I don't understand the risks involved, after all...)

I mostly attend public sessions / freestyle group lessons at my rink, and one or two skater will briefly jump rope, run, or stretch before stepping on the ice, but most just lace up and go, even if there is plenty of time. Of course there is always a possibility of warming up at home, but I guess not many will commit to that, either.

What's the norm at your rink? Are high level skaters more likely to adhere to off-ice warm up routines? What do you think is an ideal warm up plan before freestyle sessions (duration, type of exercise etc), and do you personally follow it most of the time?

Looking forward to hear stories as well, thanks!

The only warmup done is by myself and the older ladies (40+ age). The kids just put on their skates and zip out onto the ice. I need a brief warmup just to get everything loose. And it's great at helping to prevent injuries.

I do about 5-10 minutes of warmup. I do walking lunges, high-step walking, squats, and jumping jacks. I also do some very light stretching to further loosen up. On-ice I do several laps of slaloms, stroking, crossovers. Then I'm ready.

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

Since I am already getting up before 5am, the last thing I want to do is get up even earlier to warm up off the ice (not to mention, I've just had my coffee and do not want to do anything that sloshes it around, like jogging!). So I just warm up on the ice by doing 10 minutes of stroking and moves-in-the-field. After that, my muscles are warmed up enough so that I can stretch a little at the boards in advance of doing anything that requires flexibility. It also helps tremendously to take a hot shower before skating in the morning. I do my serious stretching after I get off the ice.

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

My skaters are for the most part the highest level skaters at our rink.They do warm up, we go around 30 minutes before ice starts. They run, do off ice jumps, jumps rope, run the stairs, stretch ect. We have seen skaters injury themselves due to no warm ups so they do it.Might not like it but they know it helps !
They also do moves every day before everything else.

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http://www.youtube.com/user/alaskanmom

Very good question. A proper off-ice warmup is necessary to prevent injury, especially if you're an adult skater, as adults take longer to warmup. I myself need at least 10 minutes, ideallly 15-20, to go through a comprehensive dynamic warmup to get to every muscle used in skating. Static stretching before skating does virtually nothing. You want to get each joint and muscle through their full range of motion dynamically, to get the blood flow going and to raise the tissue temperature. If you're pressed for time, pick the exercises that benefit you most and make sure you do them before getting on the ice.

Good job to twokidsskatemom's kids!

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Visit www.sk8strong.com for complete off-ice training information and sport specific DVDs for figure skaters

I just try to run before entering the rink. Many rinks aren't great environments to warm up in. But my method is not possible in some neighborhoods, or when there is snow on the ground.

Running certainly brings my heart rate and respiration up, and is a great general warm up. But it doesn't move my joints through their full range of motion, and some muscles don't get used and warmed up. So I try to make myself supplement this after running with warming up the unused muscles, and stretching all the joints that need stretching.

Books say you should stretches after you exercise, as part of the cool down, to massage metabolic poisons out of your system. But books don't take cold dirty rink buildings into account. I guess I could do what the books say outdoors in the summer.

I see almost no one else doing warm-ups and no one else doing cool-downs. A few of the kids stretch before skating, but without a warm-up, which is supposed to be bad.

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Mitch Grunes ModifyingBoots FallingGently HomePage

Hi

For me, off ice each time, I do spirals, squats, and leg stretches. On ice, I also do forward, backward crossovers, crossrolls (mostly forwards) and a few laps of the forward stroking, then I am ready.

londonicechamp