Subject: recreational {ice} figure skating FAQ part 5
Supersedes: <rec-skate-faq/recreational-figure-skating/part5_794870416@rtfm.mit.edu>
Date: 9 Apr 1995 18:34:13 GMT
References: <rec-skate-faq/recreational-figure-skating/part0_797452370@rtfm.mit.edu>
Summary: The fifth and last part of this six part posting deals with
        training and fitness issues for skaters, and injuries.
X-Last-Updated: 1995/02/09

Posting-Frequency: monthly
Version: 199501


PART 5.  Skating and your body

8. Off-ice training and endurance

While off-ice training isn't necessary for recreational skating, it will 
help you to progress more quickly.

It would be quite easy to write a separate section of the FAQ on this 
subject alone!  For excellent references on this subject, check out the 
FAQ's in rec.dance and rec.fitness.  As with any exercise program, the 
best one is the one that you can realistically keep up with over an 
extended period of time.  And remember to WARM-UP BEFORE 
DOING ANY STRETCHING.

Training programs for competitive skaters are very rigorous.  In 
preparation for competitions the skater must improve their 
anaerobic endurance, since the skater's heart rate is way above what 
they could maintain for any length of time.  Skating flat out for 4 1/2 
minutes requires an incredible level of stamina!

For the rest of us, aerobics classes are a good bet.  Find one with lots 
of floor work and stretching.  Stair climbing is excellent.  Try taking 
them two at a time.  Other good complementary activities are cycling, 
swimming, power walking and other forms of low-impact aerobic 
exercise, especially if you can include them as part of your post-
skating stretch and cool down period.  Weight training is also good, 
especially for improving jumps.  But weight training is not for kids 
because of the potential for long term damage of a growing skeleto-
muscular system.

The next issue (if you're old enough to use weight) is of emulation of 
activity.  In skill sports, such as skating, there are two schools of 
thought here.  One is that the weight activity should reflect the 
activity of the skill to be performed, so there is some neuromuscular 
training effect as well as the muscular hypertrophy (strength-gain) 
of the groups involved.

The other is that the activity should be UNLIKE the related skill. This 
supposedly will prevent psychological and neuromuscular confusion 
over whether you're performing the desired skill, or the weight 
activity that's like it. 

The first school would appear to be appropriate for relatively static 
skills like a sit-spin. This is because an activity that is similar to this 
activity is going to have the broadest effect upon all the muscle 
groups involved in the activity, rather than just isolating certain 
muscles.  With highly specific skills such as jumps, it may be better 
to train all muscles in the legs with exercises that target the major 
muscle groups but are not similar to any jumps in particular.

The second school would be more likely to favor machines, which are 
designed to isolate specific muscles without the need for any form. 
These machines allow you to build strength without developing the 
neuromuscular skills (e.g. proprioceptive perception) necessary to 
control your actions.

This isn't considered a good idea - a major part of weight training, 
particularly for a beginner, is to develop the neuromuscular system 
to fully utilize the strength that you already have, mainly through 
efficient muscle fiber recruitment and control over the action.

Basic exercises should cover large muscle groups. A few exercises can 
train most of the body. The bits that are missed can be trained by 
more specific exercises, but this is not necessary at the beginner-to-
intermediate level.

Find a competent fitness instructor to create a program.  If you are 
looking for good information regarding weight training for young 
athletes, hook up with the National Strength and Conditioning 
Association (NSCA).

Their address is:

National Strength & Conditioning Association
P.O. Box 81410
Lincoln, NE 68501
(402)472-3000

The NSCA has several publications dealing with training young 
athletes.  They have recently published several position papers  on 
the subject.  

AVOID power exercises like plyometrics (explosive jumps) until you 
have built the athletes' strength using basic strength exercises.  
NEVER do more intense plyometric exercises like bench jumps with 
pre-pubescent athletes.

    8.1 improving turn-out

The following exercise is excellent for improving your Mohawks and 
spread eagles by improving the range of hip rotation.  It is important 
to avoid trying to do a spread eagle with a twist at the knees or 
ankles, since this can cause painful damage to these joints.

After warming up, lay on your stomach (on the floor) with your 
knees spread out, and try to touch the soles of your feet together, 
while pressing your pelvis towards the floor...

(Tough to describe this..... I'll try an ASCII picture....

                 Right Knee
           \ /\
  Head-> O-|-| >=  <- Feet
           / \/
                 Left Knee

You sort of look like a frog...Not a very dignified position, for sure.... 
The stretch is achieved my trying to push your pelvis and feet 
toward the floor. Initially both feet and pelvis will likely be quite 
some distance from the floor....

    8.2 the pay-off!

Skating is an excellent activity for increasing your fitness level.  It is 
truly amazing how coordinated skating can make you!  From doing 
figures and learning jumps and spins, skaters get to the point where 
they can literally change the position of isolated body parts while 
they are in the air!

A big difference between aerobics and skating is that skaters seem to 
like skating much more than aerobics-people like aerobics.  People 
do aerobics to keep fit.  People skate because it's fun.  If you like it, 
you'll do more of it, and consequently, gain more due to the 
additional exercise.


9.3 Injuries
    9.3.1 Injuries from falling

There are five basic types of injuries you can get while skating: 
bruised ego, bruised body, pulled muscles or ligaments, broken 
bones, or concussion.  The easiest of these to deal with is your ego.  
Don't worry, everyone who has ever skated has fallen.  They've 
fallen because they forgot to take their blade guards off.  They've 
fallen by just shifting their weight while standing still.  They've even 
fallen holding on to the rail.  As one pro once said, "There isn't a fall I 
haven't perfected." 

Don't forget to wear your bruises proudly.  Skaters consider bruises 
badges of honor. 

The potentially most sinister type of injury is a concussion.  Always 
try to tuck your head when falling so you don't hit it, but if you do 
and you either suffer a period of unconsciousness or are dizzy or 
disoriented after you get up, get off the ice and have someone drive 
you to a doctor.  This is not something you should take lightly.  
Chances are it's nothing, but why take the risk? 

Broken bones are also a hazard of falling, but can mostly be 
prevented by NOT putting your arms out to catch your falls.  Of 
course, if it's a choice between your face and your arm and you must 
put your arm out, be sure and do it with a bent elbow.  A broken 
bone goes directly to the doctor.  Do Not pass GO.  Do Not collect $200. 

The rest of the injuries are treated basically the same way; RICE.  
That stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.  For bruises, 
put ice on it as soon as possible to keep the bleeding to a minimum.  
Elevate the body part above the heart.  For example, if you hit your 
toe-pick and land on you knee, get off the ice, put ice on the knee 
and put your foot up.  You want to apply the ice for 20 minutes and 
be sure and keep a piece of cloth between the ice and the skin to 
prevent frostbite.  

Pulled muscles require rest.  That doesn't necessarily mean you have 
to stop skating.  But it does mean that "if it hurts, don't do it.  That 
will only reinjure the muscle.  After the first 48 hours, you can begin 
alternating ice with heat for the pulled muscle.  Gentle massage can 
also help.  Always massage toward the heart. 

It is not unusual to find skaters with AOSS back on the ice the day 
after a major injury, including a broken bone.  While skating with 
your arm in a cast is not recommended, if you have AOSS you're 
going to do it anyway.  So, suggestions are to get a light cast, made of 
fiberglass and available in a wide variety of bright colors.  These 
casts are not affected by moisture and are more durable (besides 
matching nicely with your skating outfit :-).  If you are skating after 
injuring a joint such as the knee or ankle, neoprene braces not only 
provide support for the injured joint, they also provide warmth 
allowing the muscles to function optimally. 

    9.3.2 Foot injuries

Probably the most common cause of foot pain is boots that are laced 
too tightly over the instep.  The lacing should be snug but not so tight 
as to cut off circulation or pinch the foot.  If your boots feel too tight 
(e.g., at the ball of the foot) even when the lacing is loosened, you 
should have the fit checked at a competent skate shop. 

Many skaters (especially beginners) have a tendency to clench their 
toes while skating, which can cause the foot to cramp.  This can be 
caused by boots that are too loose, keeping your weight too far 
forward on the blade, or just bad habits. 

Another cause of foot pain is excessive tightness of the achilles  
tendon.  You can do "wall pushups" to stretch:  stand about 3 feet 
from a wall and lean forward against it, keeping your feet flat on the 
floor.  You can also do a lunge stretch, keeping your weight on your 
rear foot with the heel on the floor and the toe pointing forward. 

If your feet continue to hurt after you've stopped skating and taken 
your boots off, or if you cannot skate at all without pain, or if you 
have continuing problems with stiffness and soreness in the feet, you 
should stop skating and consult a podiatrist or sports medicine 
specialist.  You can risk serious damage to your feet otherwise.  The 
common foot ailment that afflicts skaters is called "plantar fasciitis", 
and it's a form of tendonitis that affects the bottoms of the feet.  
Typical treatment includes resting the feet, anti-inflammatory drugs 
such as ibuprofen, and custom orthotics to provide more support for 
the foot.  


10. Credits

Some of the wonderful people on rec.skate who have contributed to 
this FAQ are, in alphabetical order:

kevin@dipl.rdd.lmsc.lockheed.com (Kevin Anderson)
blenko-tom@CS.YALE.EDU (Tom M. Blenko)
aboulanger@bbn.com (Albert Boulanger)
jchu@lock.jsc.nasa.gov (Julia Chu)
Sol_Ezekiel@sat.mot.com (Solly Ezekiel)
jeff@gg.caltech.edu (Jeff Goldsmith)
harbour@Rapnet.Sanders.Lockheed.Com (Susan Harbour)
Hilljs@Colorado.EDU (Janet Swan-Hill)
rmholt@u.washington.edu (Rose Marie Holt)
jkaplenk@lucpul.it.luc.edu (Joe Kaplenk)
tlacy@xmission.com (Terry Lacy)
jl@cypress.com (John Lincoln/DCOM)
lizotte@binah.cc.brandeis.edu (Kathy Lizotte)
lloschin@netcom.com (Lynn Loschin)
loosemore-sandra@cs.yale.edu (Sandra Loosemore)
lukacs@a.chem.upenn.edu (Christine Lukacs)
mossman@cfa.harvard.edu (Amy Mossman)
mark@sdd.hp.com (Mark Overton)
debrm@iastate.edu (Deborah Reed-Margetan)
swp@col.hp.com (Steve Peurifoy)
grr@tharsis.com (George Robbins)
larry@access.digex.net (Larry Rubin)
erussell@dvorak.amd.com (Ed Russell)
duncan@atri.curtin.edu.au (Duncan Savage)
icedance@u.washington.edu (Ann Schmidt)
sparck@adobe.com (Deborah Sparck)
judy@locus.com (Judy Tyrer)


Appendix 1, Contact information for the Adult Skaters Forum

Write to:

Adult Skaters Forum
PO Box 5506, Evanston, Illinois, 60204-5506
Attn: Joe Kaplenk, President

Or contact Joe Kaplenk at the telephone number below.


USFSA Adult Skaters Advisory Committee

Chairperson: Joe Kaplenk
        jkaplenk@lucpul.it.luc.edu
        home:   312-764-1212 (up to 11 p.m. Chicago time)
        work:   312-508-2268
        fax:    312-465-0406 (at home so feel free to send me anything)

The members of the USFSA Adult Skaters Advisory Committee are as
follows:

Dorothy Bowers, Salt Lake City
Susan Chapman, Chesterton, IN (Ph: 219-787-8911)
Joanne  Cutting, Oxford MA
Ann-Margreth Frei-Hall, Vail, CO
Patricia  Hagen, Indianapolis IN
Penny Hopkins, Ulm, MT
Tommy Kaine, Philadelphia PA
Joe Kaplenk,  Chicago IL, Chair
Anne Klein, Wayzata MN
Garry  Mallett, Los Angeles CA
Rhea Schwartz, Washington DC

In Canada, contact karen.bryden@crc.doc.ca (Karen Bryden).


Appendix 2, Commonly available blades, radius, hollow and price

        MODEL           MFG          RADIUS     HOLLOW     MSRP*
    
    Dance Blades:
    Coronation Dance   Wilson          7'        3/8"      $167
    Dance99            Wilson          8         3/8        240
    MK Dance           MK              7         5/16       349
    Silver Dance       MK              7         7/16       168
    Super Dance 99     Wilson          8         3/8        338
    Wilson Dance       Wilson          7         3/8    discontinued
    
    Patch Blades:
    Comet Test         Wilson         8.5        1          167
    Gold Test          MK              7         1          338
    Pattern 88         Wilson          7         1          502
    Silver Test        MK              7        1.5         188
    Wilso Figure       Wilson          8         1          338
    
    Freestyle Blades:
    Coronation Comet   Wilson         8.5        3/8        167
    Four Aces          Wilson          7         3/8        238
    Gold Seal          Wilson          8         1/2        462
    Gold Star          MK              7         7/16       375 (510 in gold)
    Hans Gerschwiler   Wilson          7         1/2        418*
    Pattern 99         Wilson          8         3/8        338
    Phantom Special    MK              7         7/16       365+
    Vantage            MK              7         7/16       255
    
    Freestyle and
    All-purpose Blades:
    Club 2000          MK              7         3/8         35
    Coronation Ace     Wilson          7         3/8        157
    Phantom            MK              7         7/16       320+
    Professional       MK              7         7/16       152
    Select Classic     MK              7         7/16       115
    
    All-purpose Blades:
    Majestic           Wilson          6         3/8        102
    Mercurio           Wilson          6         3/8         77
    Rinkmaster         MK              7         1/2         35
    Single Star        MK              7         1/2         93
    
* Manufacturers suggested retail price

        
