3 ice figure skating exercises to improve your performance on ice
Figure skating is a sport that requires more than just grace and artistry. While most non-skaters don’t realize this, achieving any technical element in skating requires a significant amount of strength and endurance. Awkward positions must be held for long periods of time, and muscles that most people hardly ever use must be strong to execute the jumps, twists, and lifts that wow the crowd and the judges. All figure skaters, regardless of age or ability, should participate in a proper off-ice strength and conditioning program to give them the strength and endurance to execute elements, and also to help prevent injury.
Note: Be sure to consult with your coach, parents, and physician before participating in any off-ice exercise and conditioning program.
Figure skaters looking to develop any type of off-ice conditioning program should look at their overall goals in order to put together an overall off-ice program. I’d like to suggest three exercises in particular that should be incorporated into all off-ice programs, and this is for all skaters, including pair skaters, dance skaters, and freestyle skaters.
1). bike creaks. Like athletes in almost any sport, if a figure skater did absolutely nothing off the ice except ONE thing, then he would have to engage core strength. Your core strength is what allows you to control jumps, center your turns, and maintain an upright posture in dance sequences and steps. Try to twizzle or check your rotation with an Axel with no central force; it’s just not going to happen.
A study conducted at San Diego State University evaluated more than a dozen different abdominal exercises to increase core strength, and one stood out above the rest: the bicycle crunch. To do the bicycle crunch, lie on the floor with your abs tight and your lower back pressed against the ground (you may have to rotate your pelvis down to achieve this). Put your hands next to your ears (DO NOT pull your neck!) and raise your legs to a 45-degree angle. Move your legs through a bicycle pedaling motion while simultaneously contracting in a twisting motion and touching your elbow to the opposite knee.
two). arabesque exercises. In the world of dance, gymnastics, and figure skating, the arabesque position is one of the most common positions that you will need to learn to hold. For figure skaters, this is particularly true when it comes to spirals and camel turns. An arabesque is most perfectly represented by the standard flat blade or spiral edge position of the Preliminary and Preliminary Field Movement tests, with the skating leg straight, the free leg at hip height, or by above and the torso at 90°. degree angle to skating leg.
To develop your flexibility and stamina to hold the arabesque/spiral position, work on the following rotation, completing it on each foot. Start by holding the arabesque position for a minute leaning against the wall, then another minute with your leg on a partner or half wall, then a minute alone, then another minute with your arms on the wall again. Rest about 30 seconds between each position. These one-minute intervals will be difficult at first, but they will improve over time and help you a lot, especially if you also do ballet or gymnastics.
3). box jumps. For most spectators of our sports, it is the jumps that attract the big applause. If you’re a freestyle skater, your jumps are often your most difficult technical element, and one of the things you spend most of your training time perfecting. Fully rotating your jumps, particularly your doubles, triples, and if you can pull it off, a quad, requires incredible skill to get “hang time” in the air. Getting “hang time” is primarily a matter of being able to jump into the air with incredible power, which itself is a matter of shear strength.
Box jumps are one of the best ways to work on your jumping power and increase your time in the air. A basic box jump is completed by jumping onto an 18- to 24-inch-high wooden box with both feet from a standing position. Exploding on top of the box, and then exploding off the box and back to the ground is the most basic method of working on your jumping power. Additional box jumping methods include jumping onto a box, then immediately onto another higher box, and then back down to the ground. There are numerous variations of this exercise, all of which will improve your jumping ability.
These three exercises in themselves comprise the most basic off-ice training program possible. Of course, as with any athlete, eating right, getting enough sleep, and a basic cardiovascular program are also beneficial for all skaters.