This document provides guidance on warming up and stretching for figure skaters. It defines warm-ups as activities to raise body temperature before exercise, while stretching increases muscle extensibility. The purposes of warm-ups are to improve performance and decrease injuries by increasing blood flow and muscle temperature. Stretching aims to improve flexibility long-term and extensibility prior to exercise. The document recommends a dynamic warm-up for skaters including raising temperature, dynamic stretches, and balance/speed/power drills. Skaters should also implement a stretching routine after practice focusing on tight muscle groups like calves and hips to maintain flexibility.

1. Outline
1. Stretching v. Warm-up
1. Definition
2. Purposes
3. Effectiveness
4. Recommendations
2. Warm-up for Skating
3. Stretching for Skating
1. Type of Stretching
2. When to Stretch
3. What to Stretch
A Figure Skaters Guide to Warming
Up and Stretching
Warm-up for Success
Deborah L. King, PhD, Department Exercise and Sport Sciences, Ithaca College
Figure Skating Medical Symposium, CMC Sports Medicine Athletic Performance, December 2010

2. Warm – up
Activities and movements that increase body temperature
prior to exercise
Stretching
Activities or motions that increase the extensibility of
muscles
Definitions

3. Purposes
Warm-up
– Improve performance
• Increase body temperature
– Increases muscle force, nerve conduction, rate of chemical reactions,
strength and power
• Increase heart rate and respiratory rate
– Increase blood flow and exchange of O2 and CO2
• Mental/psychological preparation
– Imagery, Focus of attention, Motivation, Arousal
– Decrease injuries
• Increase body temperature
– Improve extensibility of muscles

4. Purposes
Stretching
– Long term (daily stretching over months and years):
• Improve flexibility
– Attain proper positions or postures for sport
– Improved performance
• Avoid muscle or joint imbalances
– Maintain proper mechanics
– Short term (stretching prior to exercise):
• Improve extensibility of muscles and pain free range of motion
– Prevent muscle strains or other injuries

5. Stretching
– Limited and conflicting evidence that stretching PRIOR to
exercise decreases injury rates
• Pre-participation stretching is
– Ineffective in reducing over use injuries (military, running, team
sports)
– Only somewhat effective in reducing muscle strains
– Stretching PRIOR to performance decreases force
production of muscles
• Pre-participation stretching:
– Decreases strength output
– Can decrease power output
Effectiveness

6. Warm-up
– Focus on active (dynamic) components:
• Generally improve performance
• May lessen injury rates
– To enhance performance:
• Raise body temperature (avoid excessive thermoregulatory strain)
• Elevate VO2
• Include brief task-specific bursts
– To prevent acute sport specific injuries:
• Warm up exercises – about 5 min
• Technique alignment exercises – about 5 minutes
• Balance exercises – about 5 minutes
• Strength & Power exercises – about 2 minutes
Recommendations

7. Practice – Off ice
• 5 minutes of activities to raise body temperature
– Jump rope , Exercise bike, Slide board, Jogging
• 5 minutes dynamic stretching
– Ankles, Knee flexors/extensors, Hip flexion/extension, Hip
Abduction/Adduction
• 5 minutes balance/strength/speed /power
– Lunges
– Off ice jumps & Landings
– Sprints or quick bursts with jump rope, bike, slide board
Specifics for Skaters – Warm-up

8. Practice – On ice
• 5 minutes of skating to raise body temperature
• 5 minutes dynamic stretching
– Next to board
• Knee flexors/extensors, Hip flexion/extension, Hip Abduction/Adduction
– While skating
• Lunges, squats
• 5 minutes balance/speed/power
– Crossovers and glide length of ice on one foot
– Waltz jumps focus on height and landing
– Power stroking, footwork, …
Specifics for Skaters – Warm-up

9. Competition
• Off ice warm up (about 15 minutes) prior to on ice group warm-up
• Depending on skate order, after group warm-up
– Short wait:
• Skates on:
– Mental run through
– Dynamic stretches to stay warm
– Long wait
• Skates off:
– 5-10 minutes warm up that can be repeated
– Walk through program off ice
• Skates on
– Mental run through
– Dynamic stretches to stay warm
Specifics for Skaters – Warm-up

10. Things to remember:
– Rinks are cold
– Skaters will cool off quickly
• Have Layers
• Keep Moving
Specifics for Skaters – Warm-up

11. Stretching
– Flexibility is important
– Skaters can easily develop muscle imbalances
A habitual stretching program is important
– Stretch after practices, in evenings
– Raise body temp prior to stretching
– Target muscle groups that:
• Tend to get tight and are over worked
• Allow needed flexibility for sport performance
Recommendations

12. Types of Stretches
• Static
– Recommended 5 minutes of total stretch per muscle group
– Typically do 5 x 60 seconds
• PNF Stretching - common technique is Contract-Relax
– Contract muscle against resistance for 10 seconds
– Relax and stretch for 30 + seconds
– Repeat 2 to 5 times
• Dynamic Stretching
– Move joints through ROM with controlled exaggerated motions
– Can do set time or repeat set distances
Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching

13. Muscles that tend to get tight:
– Calf (gastrocnemius and soleus)
Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching

15. Muscles that tend to get tight:
– Tibialis Anterior
Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching

17. Muscles that tend to get tight:
– Low back (erector spinae)
Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching

19. Muscles that tend to get tight:
– Hip Abductors (TFL, Gluteus
Medius)
Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching

21. Muscles that tend to get tight:
– Hip Adductors (Iliopsoas, rectus
femoris)
Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching

23. Muscles that tend to get tight:
– Hip Flexors (Iliopsoas, rectus
femoris)
Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching

25. Muscles that tend to get tight:
– Hip Extensors (gluteus
maximums, hamstrings)
Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching

27. Muscles that tend to get tight:
– Hip Lateral Rotators (piriformis,
gluteus maximus)
Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching

29. Stretching Tips
1. After practice, training, or evenings is recommended
2. Warm up muscles before stretching
– If at rink, find a warm room
3. Aim for 5 minutes of each muscle group
– Many stretches will do more than one muscle group at a
time
4. Focus on:
– Muscles prone to tightness/imbalances
– Joints needing range of motion
5. Flexibility does not necessarily
• decrease injury rates
• Improve performance

30. Three Keys to Success
• Warm–up
– Raise your body temp,
HR, breathing rate
• Warm-up
– Use dynamic stretching
to take muscles through
ROM
• Warm-up
– Add balance, speed, and
power activities

31. And Lastly
• Maintain muscle
balances and joint
ranges of motion with
stretching as part of
your conditioning
program not as part of a
warm-up
Questions and Discussion ….