I'm looking for ideas for an off-ice routine to warm up before skating. How do you warm up?
I treat walking to the rink as part of my warm up, then I do some leg swings and stretches. I'd like to do more though

Walking to the rink is good - husband cycles, most of the time, which works for him.

I've taken to putting my practice-clothes on, then putting my shoes back on and running to the ladies' room - arms going, knees up, anything to warm up. Hate running, so it's about as far as I'll do (none of your running twice round the rink for me, like some of the kids do). Also have been known to run on the spot, or do jumping-jacks, or whatever. The kids all use a skipping-rope, but I can't do that very well, as I bounce and you can't use a skipping rope and hang on to yourself at the same time!

Or you can get warm-up ideas from exercise videos and DVDs, they often have good 5-minute warm-ups on them.

It's basically a matter of ensuring you are loose & warm all over. Then get your skates on and skate like a maniac for a couple of minutes, again making sure you involve all your muscles.

I personally prefer to stretch, and do my toning/fitness routines, immediately after skating. But tomorrow & Thursday they'll get done before, as part of pre-competition warm-up. Worked well on Sunday, so should work tomorrow & Thursday!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

My Off-Ice Warm before I get onto the Ice is to do is to do these following on this link, Also I do neck roll exercises, Some off-ice Spiral Positions

http://www.sk8rland.com/users/ray/Stretch1.gif
http://www.sk8rland.com/users/ray/Stretch2.gif

Mine was a cup of hot chocolate, occasionally a bacon and mushroom butty and a chat! I never warmed up even on the warm up before tests etc, even when I danced I didn't warm up. Personally I prefer to just get on and skate.

But don't do as I do ..... a lot of the skaters at our rink used to run around the rink, skip and also run up and down the stairs.

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The best whisper is a click

here's my warm up that I'm working on

3-5 minute run
squats-8
lunge stretch with 10 second hold each leg
quad strech with 10 second hold
arm stretchs with 10 sec hold (extension/flexion)
upper body twists 8x
in standing making big circles with arms in cw and ccw 5x each
push up against wall 8x
waltz jump 3-5
spiral pose
..if I'm in the mood I'll run up/down the stairs by the bleachers
then I end with a slow pace jog 1-2 minute

enjoy! check out choreography for ice skaters by harris and conditioning for figure skating by poe for some great ideas. amazon.com--u can get them used for a good price!

I do a mixture really. Sometimes i like just like going straight on the ice and just warming up a that way. I have got used to doing it like that, maybe its because of doing lessons, but recently i have tried to remember to warm up. Just doesnt always work.

I normally do a lap round the rink, running, or maybe two - depends how early I am. Then I do some leg swings and normally a few spirals positions followed by a some 3 jumps and bunny hops.

Thats all really, I see people running up and down the stairs a lot too. But i have never tried it yet.

Hannah

I usually skate 4-5 laps around the ice at an easy pace and then do a series of stretches against the boards: quads, lunge position, spiral position, and hamstrings/calves. If I'm going to be practicing sit spins, I'll do a few two footed squats, followed by full squats in the proper sit spin position (leg extended) off the ice.

For some reason, I get cramps and a weak feeling in my calves if I do too much off ice warming up (such as jump roping) so I don't do any, really. I save conditioning stuff for nonskating days. What I do is get on the ice and skate for about 10 mins, doing laps and crossovers, then get off ice and stretch for about 5. I concentrate on my legs and back, doing gentle stretches-holding for 30 seconds each. I've learned what a waste of money it is to pay for freestyle and then get a pulled muscle from stretching too much so I'm pretty careful. I had my husband hold my leg up in a spiral position/stretching once and paid for THAT for about a month afterward. So I guess I'm getting old!

After skating I stretch more and cool down.

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~AF