WARM UP

ICE SKATING Ice skating is a great form of exercise that increases your body’s flexibility and endurance with very low impact. • CARDIOVASCULAR ACTIVITIES: You burn calories as you skate on the ice, it’s a great cardiovascular workout with less stress on your knees and other joints, it boosts your cardio-vascular system which helps to reduce your risks of diseases like obesity, hypertension and diabetes, it improves your balance and agility, and builds character. It is a great way to tone your leg muscles, specifically the quadriceps and hamstrings and your arm muscles when you swing them as you skate. • WARM UP EXERCICES: Dynamic stretching is one of the most effective ways to warm up, whether you are warming up for a competition, testing, on-ice or off-ice training. Dynamic stretching serves to actively lengthen the muscles and involves movements that increase heart rate, blood flow, deep muscle temperature, respiratory rate, viscosity of joint fluids, and perspiration. Proper warm-up can take the beginning skater 30 minutes and the advanced skater 10 to 15 minutes. To begin a general warm-up, the skater should start with five minutes of aerobic activity (jumping rope, slide board, jogging in place, jumping jacks or on-ice power stroking). This will improve the flexibility of the muscles and prepare the body for dynamic stretches. • STRETCHING: Head: (repeat five times gently and slowly) 1) Look up and down 2) Bend head to the right shoulder, then to the left shoulder 3) • Turn head to the right, then to the left Upper Extremities: (repeat five to eight times for each arm) 1) Rotate wrists in circles, clockwise and counter-clockwise 2) Roll shoulders back and down (arms at sides) 3) Place hands on shoulders and circle elbows backwards, squeezing shoulder blades together 4) Stretch arms up over head, lengthening the spine, then lower arms and cross in front of the body. Repeat, this time bringing the arms up and then lower crossing arms behind the back Trunk: (repeat five times slowly) 1) Side bend to the right and then to the left (pain free range of motion) 2) Turn trunk to the right and then to the left (pain free range of motion) Lower Extremities: (repeat 10 to 12 times for each leg) 1) Rotate ankles in circles 2) Standing, place right toe behind the left foot, bend the left knee allowing the right heel to touch the (….?) Swing one leg out to the side, then cross in front of standing leg, swing the leg out to the side again and cross behind standing leg 3) Standing on one leg drawing a circle with the free knee 4) Walking forward, bend one knee backwards 5) Walking forward, bring one knee to chest; pull in the knee with same arm 6) Walking forward, bring one knee to chest; pull in the knee with opposite arm 7) Walking forward, kick one leg up while keeping the knee straight