Have you ever gone skating by yourself & just felt a lack of motivation? Or, if your coach isn’t on the ice with you, everything they told you to work on escapes your mind? You’re not alone, even seasoned figure skaters can have days like these. Sometimes you just need a little boost to get started. My hope for you is this post gives you some inspiration to reference when you’re having one of those days. Let’s kick off the best way to organize your skating sessions with a story time!

What Does a Good Warm-Up Routine Look Like? 🤔

Here’s a scenario I see at the rink all the time. The main character in the story is fictional, although some of my skaters do this from time to time. Let’s call the skater in this story Lucy. She hops on the ice as soon as she sees the Zamboni doors close. Lucy is excited to start her private lesson with me, so she waves and says, “Hi!” as she strokes by. After stroking around a couple times, Lucy skates over to me and stands next to me in a T-Stop position.

To Lucy, this is her signaling she is ready to start her lesson. In my mind, Lucy has only just started warming up and she’s not yet ready for her lesson. Stroking around once or twice is only the beginning of a well-thought-out warmup routine. How you warm-up will inform how the rest of your practice session goes.

A hurried routine with a lack of follow-through and quick bursts of motion, could lead to cramps, injury, and a lack of focus. Instead of skating right over to me after stroking, Lucy could have started warming up other elements. She could have eased into her session by incorporating her arms, her knees and her legs while also working on her breathing. Here’s an example of a good warm-up routine. Try this out next time you’re at the rink.

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Your Sample Routine

1. Stroking 1-2 laps around the rink

2. Crossovers (½ lap forward and ½ lap backwards)

3. Cross-rolls with arm work, using the length of the rink

4. 4-6 Forward and Backward Swizzles with arm work

5. Forward and Backward Slaloms, using the length of the rink-- each side

6. Back Scratch or Scratch Spin

7. 1-2 single jumps or a jump combo

For a more challenging warm-up routine, replace the Swizzles with Counters or Rockers, and Slaloms with Power-Pulls.

You can even choose 1-2 of your favorite songs to complete your routine to. Try to skate to the beat of the music for an extra layer to your warm-up. Give yourself an additional challenge by not letting anything distract you from finishing your routine before the songs end.

Your Warm-Up Is Key🔑🔑🔑

Along with the challenge of staying focused, this warm-up routine allows you to set the tone for the rest of your practice session. You’re allowing your body to ease into the ice and prepare to be used for skating. This is much better for your joints and muscles as you start jumping, spinning, and skating your program.

A good warm-up routine is the same idea as stretching before a workout at the gym. It doesn’t have be intense, but it gets your heart rate up, and prepares your mind for the next 25+ minutes of exercise. Using your arms, pointing your toes, and extending your legs, is a full body workout. After you warm-up, your jumps and spins will feel and likely look better too. Personally, I enjoy this type of warm-up routine because I need the first few minutes of a session to find my focus.

After a long day at work, or school, you can shake-off any negativity from the day and use your warm-up to bring in positive vibes. Take this time to find your focus, be present in the practice session, and not think about your to-do list. If you try this warm-up routine let me know! Connect with me @akcstyle on Instagram. Or, leave a comment below if you have a different routine you’d like to share. Until next time, skate strong, find your focus & keep building your strength!

Don’t Get Ready, Stay Ready!!

Being prepared is the ULTIMATE ✨sign of success.✨

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Easy 5-10 Minute Skating Warm Up Routine for Skaters at Any Level