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Are you looking for a fun way to burn a significant amount of calories, get your heart rate up, and avoid the gym all together? The “miracle” exercise I am talking about is ice skating. In addition to being a beautiful sport to watch and a lot of fun to do, it also has tremendous aerobic benefits. Ice skating boosts your endurance because you are constantly moving, stretching, and attempting new tricks. The more advanced you become, the greater the aerobic benefits you create for yourself. Ice skating targets a number of muscle groups—your abs, calves, glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps. These are groups we are always trying to target. You can spend hours at the gym going from machine to machine to work these muscle groups separately or you can head to the ice rink and get them all at once. Another great aspect of ice skating is that you can make it into a social event by bringing your family or friends along with you. This way you get your workout in, and still spend time with others. By the time you go home, you will be completely satisfied because you’ll have had fun and had a great workout. It is important, however, to consider your safety and the safety of others while you are on the ice. A major mistake people often make is not warming-up and stretching properly before skating. It is helpful to take a brisk walk around the rink, run in place or jump rope for a few minutes prior to getting on the ice. It takes about five to ten minutes to properly warm up your muscles, get your heart rate elevated and break a sweat. Once you have accomplished this, you are ready to proceed. Next you should stretch your muscles focusing on the calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps. Now you are ready to skate. When you are on the ice, it is important to keep your head up and your eyes open to avoid crashing into others. Advanced skaters will often skate very close to you, but the best thing to do is continue on your course. Attempting to move out of their way may cause a collision. Just keep skating normally and they will maneuver around you. Skating around the edges of the ice is best if you are a beginning skater because you are less likely to get in the way of an advanced skater there. It is also important that you do not attempt moves that are too advanced for you. Copying jumps, spins or footwork of more advanced skaters may result in minor or even severe injuries. Advanced skaters probably take lessons and have been coached for many years. They know the proper techniques of every move they do and trying to copy them could be harmful to you and to others. There is no need to be embarrassed if you are the least skilled skater on the ice. Even if you are not attempting difficult moves, you are still receiving the aerobic benefits of skating just by stroking around the rink. Beginners should learn how to stop and fall safely before getting on the ice. Beginners should wear helmets and knee and arm pads in order to be as safe as possible. If you need to, hold on to the edges of the wall, and bend your knees to gain balance. All skaters should make sure their skates are not too loose or too tight and that they support the ankles. A professional should sharpen your skates prior to use. Safety is especially important when you are skating on a pond or a lake. You should only skate on approved surfaces. You should check for signs posted by police or the recreation department, or call the local police department to find out the approved skating areas. Parents should never allow their children to be on the ice without constant adult supervision. Some safety tips for outdoor skating are as follows:
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