So you want to learn how to ice skate for the first time. Because you’re a complete beginner. Or maybe the last you wore ice skates was 20 years ago, and it feels like your skating chops have really gown down. Fortunately, you bumped into this post on how to ice skate for beginners. Here, you’ll learn the basics of ice skating and every other little thing you need to know as a new skater.
Also Read: Keep Cold Away from Your Feet While Ice Skating
Well, you won’t learn how to do spectacular quadruple jumps like Anna Shcherbakova. But at least, you’ll know where to begin the journey to a career in figure skating or ice hockey.
Ice skating is more about doing and less about reading or even thinking about it! So, read this. Watch a couple of videos. Buy the gear you need, or rent it if you’re still not sure if ice skating is the thing for you. Most importantly, keep practicing what you learn so that you can assimilate it into your skill set. And remember to wear protective gear for ice skating including a helmet and protective pads.
What is Skating?
Skating is a hobby or sport where people use bladed skates or wheeled shoes to glide on ice or other surfaces. It’s an all-embracing term referring to a smorgasbord of different types of indoor and outdoor activities.
Someone may say “I’m going skating,” but what they mean is that they’re actually going electric skateboarding or just street skating rather than ice skating. Or maybe they’re going roller skating. Or inline skating. In the end, it’s a question of context. Skating means whatever version of gliding around the speaker practices.
Also Read: Different Types of Ice Skating
In this post, though, we’ll focus on one form of skating: ice skating. When you ice skate, you strap a pair of figure skates or hockey skates onto your feet and start moving around on the ice in an indoor or outdoor rink. But ice skaters can also have fun on frozen ponds and lakes. Even people in tropical countries can ice skate in indoor rinks with artificial ice.
How Do Ice Skates Glide on the Ice?
Initially, it was thought that ice skaters moved around on icy surfaces because the pressure they exerted from their weight caused the blades to melt the surface layers of the ice, creating a thin layer of water. It’s this thin layer of water that sort of lubricates the surface so that blades can glide.
However, this explanation was later found to be partially true. Scientific minds eventually discovered that the surface of ice is naturally slippery and the layer of water where the skater “floats” doesn’t need the skater to exert physical force to form.
By the way, ice skating isn’t the same as roller skating. I know it’s hard to confuse one with the other, but the boots look similar, and it’s important to make this clarification this early.
Typical roller skates (and inline skates) have wheels while regular ice skates feature a metallic blade on the underside. Take a look.
Science-backed Benefits of Ice Skating
You’ve probably wondered whether ice skating delivers any real benefits. Can skating really help me lose weight?
Now, here’s the good news:
Skating can help a 125-pound person burn as much as 210 calories in just 30 minutes according to Harvard Medical School. By comparison, the same person would burn just 90 calories if they did general weightlifting for 30 minutes.
As you can see, ice skating actually burns 133 percent more calories than weightlifting! Evidently, ice skating can help you lose weight. It’s a great way to regain one’s self-esteem and confidence.
Another great advantage of skating is that it can help you develop a leaner, well-toned body. As you stretch your muscles and various body parts such as your hands and legs, your overall body shape will improve. Also, your ability to endure will soar, and you’ll become stronger overall.
Finally, skating can do wonders for your mental health according to Healthline. The activity is a great way to push one’s body and mind beyond their comfort zones, boosting clarity and mental control. Doesn’t ice skating sound like something you’d want to learn with your significant other or friends?
Now that we’re agreed that ice skating is loads of fun while still delivering tons of benefits, let’s dive right in and learn the basics.
Prepping for Ice Skating
Let’s start at the beginning. You don’t need any kind of fancy equipment to get started. Pretty much anyone can afford this hobby.
First off, you need good skates — probably the best beginner ice skates you can afford. But good entry-level ice skates aren’t always cheap. The good news is you can always learn to ice skate on rental ice skates.
Renting lets you learn the sport cheaply. It also gives you sufficient time to decide whether you really love ice skating without spending a whole boatload of money initially. Get skates that’ll fit just right. Choose those that’ll offer you enough foot and ankle support.
Related: How to Keep Your Feet Warm When Ice Skating
You also want to bundle up for the activity. As a beginner, you may want to wrap up warmer than seasoned skaters. Why? Because people who’ve been skating for a while know how to move fast and warm up their bodies.
Here’s a simple rule of thumb when it comes to what to wear to your first ice skating lesson: wear as many layers as you might need to stay nice and toasty without restricting motion.
For example, you can wear a thin-but-warm long-sleeved shirt or T-shirt and then throw on a jacket or a hoodie. A hoodie is a great idea particularly if some of your beginner lessons will take place in an outdoor rink. The hood keeps snow off your face and hair in such a situation.
Also, consider wearing something to cover the neck if the ice rink is too cold (for example, a neck gaiter). A beanie for warming the head and earmuffs for the ears are always great ideas. Once you get going and start warming up, peel off the layers as needed to achieve comfort again.
Also, have several pairs of socks whether you’re renting skates or using your own. It does get cold out there, and you want to stay warm. Plus, socks make your skates less roomy, and that can help you avoid nasty blisters.
Helpful tip about socks: Stay away from really thick socks, and definitely don’t wear two pairs of socks. If you wear extremely thick socks or two pairs of socks, you won’t have any air around the foot to trap heat. And you’ll end up with cold feet.
And before you strap those skates on, wear something that covers your legs entirely. Wearing shorts for figure skating is just a bad idea. There’s always a chance you might fall, leaving a beautiful layer of your skin on the ice!
So, grab a pair of warm-up pants or sweatpants. And if the rink gets pretty cold some days, bring some fleece leggings and pair these with a tank top and a fleece jacket.
Pants should be close-fitting rather than too tight. I also recommend wearing good shin pads or knee pads. Tuck the shin pads under the sweatpants or wear them over the pants if you so prefer.
If you’re trying to learn to play ice hockey, I recommend wearing proper hockey pants. And don’t go looking for any kind of cheap beginner hockey shorts. Get high-end ice hockey pants, ones that offer great tailbone protection as well as protection for your glutes.
In addition, wear a safety helmet. All beginners regardless of age really should have certified protective gear for the head. And the helmet should fit snugly and comfortably.
It shouldn’t move or fall off at any time during practice. So, be sure to buckle your helmet’s chin strap properly and tighten the fit dial on the back of the helmet has it.
Before you get onto the ice, test the safety helmet to ensure it’s a good fit. Don’t tilt the helmet too far back on the top of your head. Or pull it too low over your forehead. And the helmet shouldn’t have any cracks or other signs of damage on it.
Lest I forget, you should also wear cut-proof skating gloves. Gloves or mittens keep your hands warm. And in the event of a fall, you can avoid getting cut. It’s also nice to have elbow pads and wrist guards. Pads minimize impact in case you fall. Avoid cracked elbows!
Let’s now put the skates on….
How to Lace Up Your Skates
Slide into the boots and have your heels as far back into the boot as possible. At that point, hold the tongue and gently pull it up. Next, tuck the tongue on either side of the foot. Then, start pulling the laces, beginning at the second set/pair of laces.
Ensure each boot closes well over the front of each foot. The first two sets of laces as well as the laces that support the ankles should be nice and snug. The last two laces should be somewhat looser, allowing you adequate flexibility. Finally, cross the ends nicely over the last two hooks, tying them tightly.
Note: make sure you have no loose flying bows because they can cause accidents.
How do you know you’ve laced up your ice skates correctly and that the skates fit just right? Put a finger between each leg and the back of the boot. If you tied the laces right, your finger should fit without too much work. But you shouldn’t be able to stick it in effortlessly. Also, your feet should feel comfortable. They shouldn’t hurt at all or experience any kind of pressure points. If this isn’t the kind of fit you have, make adjustments until you get it right.
Now.…
Let’s Start Ice Skating
Want to see a real pro doing it rather than read how to ice skate? Here’s a video for you so you can hit the rink right away and practice the basics of ice skating.
By the way, can you learn ice skating without a coach? You technically can teach yourself to ice skate, but this is rarely a good idea especially if you have big plans for your figure skating career.
I believe that ice skating lessons are a good idea for everyone. Because a real coach observes you as you move on the ice and provides instant feedback on what you’re doing wrong. They also offer you the posture adjustments you need to make to correct poor skating technique.
Ice Skating Video (You won’t find a better trainer!)
This video explains in clear detail various fundamental ice skating moves. Watch it, understand it, and most important, practice the moves. Happy gliding!
Gliding successfully on ice is a function of how well you can command balance and control. So, learn how to achieve and maintain your balance. How do you do this? Get into the correct ice skating posture from the get-go. And maintain that posture throughout each session.
Correct Ice Skating Form
This is the correct ice skating posture: Your knees should always stay slightly bent, positioned over your toes. That position lowers your center of gravity, stabilizing you. It also helps you to skate without falling backward.
Also Read: How to Clean Ice Skates Correctly
Also, you should always have your weight positioned over your skating leg. One time you’re skating on the right leg, and the next moment on the left one. Every time you switch legs, you must shift your weight, transferring it over to the skating leg.
Here’s one more thing. Your hands should stay stretched out to the front. Picture someone riding a scooter, with their hands holding onto the bars.
But before you get onto the ice…..
Learn How to Fall Ice Skating, Too
While falls rarely cause severe injuries or death, they happen. It’s critical to learn how to fall right.
As a kid, you fell many times before you learned to walk. A couple of years later, you fell off the bike several times before you learned how to pedal without falling. The same goes for ice skating. No matter how well you try to do the right thing or follow your instructor’s tips, you’ll fall.
Note: If it feels like you’re falling, do what you can to fall to the side rather than backward and potentially break your tailbone or forward and probably get bruised kneecaps. That’s why it’s advisable to practice for some time off the ice. Pro tip: always wear decent knee pads during the ice skating training phase.
Here’s the secret of falling right. ALWAYS lower your center of gravity before a fall. Maybe your high school physics is a little rusty, huh? Don’t worry; it doesn’t matter.
So, bend your knees. That reduces the distance between you and the ice, minimizing the odds of getting hurt. And don’t use your hands to catch yourself, no matter how natural that feels. You don’t want to end up with broken arms, do you?
As stated elsewhere, most bad ice skating falls happen to folks who try to break the fall using their hands. Keep your hands out of the way so you don’t crush them. Then, fall to the side. As you fall, make sure to tuck your chin to your body. You never want to bash your head against the ground.
Do Ice Skating Falls Hurt?
Many beginners wonder what it’s like to fall while ice skating. They can’t stop imagining all the pain they’d feel if they took a bad fall. But here’s good news. Even though beginners (and pros) fall a lot, bad falls aren’t scarily common. Especially if you’ve learned how to fall properly. By default, your knees are bent, which means you’re always comfortably close to the ground.
One study shows that most ice skating falls happen when people fall the “wrong way.” The study focused on an ice rink in Cambridge, but it can be assumed the same goes for most rinks. The vast majority of falls occur because people tried to break the fall using their outstretched hands. That’s most likely why fully 98% of all accidents affect the upper limbs.
How to Get Back Up from the Ice
If you fall while learning to skate on the ice, try to get back up as quickly as possible. Get out of the way, or you’ll stop a speeding skater! You definitely don’t want your fingers anywhere on the ice when there’s all kinds of sharpened steel blades gliding around!
To get back up, roll onto your hands and knees. Set one foot, preferably your dominant one, on the ice — between your hands. After doing this, quickly get the other foot on the ice, also positioned between your hands. At that point, stand up, keeping your knees slightly bent. Once you’re back up, regain your balance and you’re good. Remember to keep those beginner’s knees bent a bit the entire time.
Ready? Let’s now get to the action part of this ice skating for beginners tutorial.
Learning the Ice Skating Basics
1. Ice Skating Forward
It’s time to march forward. With your toes pointing in the direction you’re heading, take one small step forward. Then, repeat this exact action with the other foot.
Afraid of falling? Try to hold onto the wall first as you build up your confidence. Oh, and stop looking down to see whether you’re doing it right, or you’ll collide with someone and get injured.
Next, try to push a little harder, and see if you can do two-foot glides. As your confidence grows, you’ll do longer glides faster. Two-foot glides won’t be easy at first and don’t worry if you can’t do that in the first lesson. Just keep going no matter what.
2. Backward Ice Skating
Skating backward on the ice can feel somewhat intimidating initially. And it can feel like all your effort translates to zero progress in this direction. But practice makes perfect, so don’t despair.
Keep your feet parallel to each other, knees bent, and chest up. Then, shift your weight to a position between your feet and push outward, one foot at a time. To maintain your balance, work off of the balls of your feet, pushing backward gently.
Not going anywhere? No worries. Try this: with your toes turned in, try to walk backward slowly. As you do that, shift your weight until you find that sweet spot where balance happens almost effortlessly.
3. Forward Swizzles (Aka Scissors, especially in Roller Skating)
Swizzles are super important in figure skating because they help skaters move across the ice. To do a forward swizzle, stand in a V-shaped position with your knees straight. Your heels touch each other, and your toes are turned out. Then, using the inside edges of your ice skate blades, start pushing outward and forward. Keep going until your blades are about one foot apart.
At that point, straighten your knees at once to form an inverted V by bringing your toes together. When you complete this move, you’ll have made a circular motion, one similar to the letter O in terms of shape. When performing this basic move, you make your legs and arms make a nice and smooth circular motion.
Why are swizzles important to new skaters? It’s because swizzles help you make more controlled moves on the ice while controlling the speed and overall stability. You want to practice swizzles all the time if you want to make any real progress in your new career.
4. Backward Swizzles
For many people, backward swizzles are more difficult than forward swizzles. You may have done the forward swizzles without much difficulty, but you may find you have a little trouble doing backward swizzles.
Fundamentally, backward swizzles are similar to their forward counterparts. Except that in this case, you’re moving backward.
To do backward swizzles, position your feet so that you’re now standing in an inverted V position. The knees are straight as they’re before performing forward swizzles. Next, bend your knees while keeping your toes together. Then, use your inside edges to press your heels outward. At that point, your skates should start gliding apart. Continue moving until your feet are roughly one foot apart.
Next, start straightening your knees as you rise up. Simultaneously, put your heels together as if you’re prepping for a two-foot backward glide. Do this again and again, about 6-8 times.
Backward swizzles (and wiggles) are very important. Without them, you won’t do backward crossovers successfully.
5. One-foot Glide (Forward)
To do this one, start with forward marching or swizzles as per your preference. Then, get into a two-foot glide. Next, pick one of your feet up, placing the foot close and parallel to the skating one.
Remember to keep the hip on the free foot a little raised. At the same time, have your arms extended forward, parallel to the ice in the direction you’re heading.
Also, position your shoulders parallel to the direction you’re gliding in. Want a really strong glide? Learn to balance on your foot for about 3 or more counts. Or, glide a over distance that equates to your height.
6. Learn the Dip
Let’s now do the dip. It’s a basic ice skating lesson taught in all beginning classes.
Here’s how to do the dip: Start with your arms extended sideways, one to the right and the other to the left. Then, start marching slowly to build momentum. Then, push off into a 2-foot glide. Next, bend both knees in a dip. Meanwhile, your arms should be extended forward, parallel to the ice and positioned over your knees. Your upper body and chin should stay straight up.
7. Crossovers: Forward and Backward Crossovers
If you’re looking to become an ice hockey player, master crossovers. Crossovers are essential foot movements that help new skaters make side-to-side movements, gather speed in turns and circles, switch from skating backward to skating forward, change direction, get in and out of the way of other beginner hockey players, and zigzag down the ice hockey rink.
As the name suggests, crossovers have you crossing one foot over the other and then repeating the move from the other foot.
Crossovers are something you must practice frequently because they can be quite tough for a beginner. And you won’t make much progress as a hockey player without learning crossovers.
Forward Crossovers
Here’s how to do the forward crossovers. First, stand with your feet parallel to each other, one arm in the front, and the other stretching backward. Then, try crossing the right foot over the left one, searching for your balance in the process.
Next, lift the left leg and put it next to the right, assuming your starting position once again. To make sure you’re moving straight, follow one of the hockey lines. And as you do all this, be sure not to turn your hip as this will have you walking in a new direction.
You can also try to do sidesteps, one arm in the back and the other extended to the front. As you do that, you’ll feel like there’s a bit of a twist between your hips and shoulders. That’s because your shoulders and hips won’t be square.
Next, learn the edges you’ll use to do the forward crossovers. As you cross your right leg over the left, bend the left one a bit, dropping it over to the outside edge, toward the smallest toe. Doing that allows you to cross over the left leg without a problem. It also helps avoid toe-pushing later in the process.
And as you put the right foot down, bend the ankle a little, stepping on the outside edge. Finally, pick the left foot and position it parallel to the other foot. Note: as you cross one foot over the other, shift your weight in alignment with that move.
At this point, you’re ready to start practicing in a circle. Now, start pushing with the right foot. Note that this foot is on the outside of the circle. At first, bring the right foot to the left one without crossing over. As your confidence grows, start doing the crossovers as detailed above.
Keep this in mind: The first push should be done on the inside edge, the second one on the outside edge. Always start a new push with an edge opposite to the previous one.
Here’s another important thing. As you do the crossovers, keep your knees somewhat bent. A common beginner mistake is to play as if they’re walking rather than skating. You won’t get skating flow unless your knees remain fluid.
Another reason to bend your knees a little is to avoid tripping over your toe picks. As a new skater, it’s best to practice with a small-sized toe pick instead of a gigantic one for this very reason: tripping accidents. Once you’re comfortable doing forward crossovers in one direction, start practicing in the opposite direction.
Backward Crossovers
By now, you can skate backward or do backward swizzles and wiggles without issues (hopefully).
Now, start with backward wiggles or swizzles. Then, lift one foot up, find your balance, and glide in that position. Then, resume the backward wiggles or swizzles and lift the other foot up. Now, move over to a hockey circle (there are usually many such circles in an indoor ice rink).
Next, do one-foot backward glides around the circle until you can do it smoothly. Note: turn your head over your shoulder so you’re facing the direction of travel. A common mistake is to face the direction you’re gliding from, thinking it’s the best way to avoid collision! Sounds silly, doesn’t it? But beginners do that all the time.
Push with the foot outside the circle, using the inside backward edge. Next, lift the same foot (the one you pushed with) and cross it over the other foot. Then, pick the skating foot and place it next to the other foot, just like you did for forward crossovers.
Remember to bend your knees as you do a crossover so you can have smooth moves and avoid tripping. One arm should extend to the front while the other should stretch out to the back, helping you maintain balance. Once you’re comfortable moving in one direction, start practicing in the opposite direction.
8. Shoot-the-Duck
This is another trick you should learn. The good thing with the shoot-the-duck move is that it’s quite hard to fall while practicing it. Normally, your backside stays pretty close to the ice. If you fall, it likely won’t be a thud! and you most likely won’t get hurt.
Start by deeply bending one leg so that your knee stays close to your chest. At the same time, have the other leg out to the front. Pretend you’re prepping to aim and shoot at some unlucky duck. Now, in that position, push off and have fun.
9. Beginner Ice Skating Jumps
The Waltz jump and Salchow jump are in my opinion the most basic ice skating jumps and the easiest Salchow is the easiest jump, followed by the Toeloop. Then there’s the Toeloop, then the Loop jump, then the Flip jump, and then the Lutz jump. The order in which these new-skater jumps are learned depends on how your coach prefers to teach them to their students.
Once you master these simple ice skating jumps, you can transition to harder jumps beginning with the Axel jump, Double Salchow, and all the rest of them.
Even though I said the Waltz and Salchow jumps are easy, ALL these jumps can be hard to learn for an absolute beginner. And you can easily get hurt, especially if you choose to self-teach or have the wrong beginner ice skate.
Before you start with the jumps listed above, learn to bunny hop on the ice. A hop is a simple jump where you leap into the air without rotating. Once you learn that, you can try practicing the other jumps from the simplest to the hardest.
Many beginner ice skates, particularly the cheapest ones, are terrible at doing jumps. Get a beginner skate that’s also good enough for intermediate ice skaters.
I recommend the Jackson Ultima Artistes, but I believe the Jackson Ultima Fusion Elle skate is better when it comes to learning how to jump as a novice ice skater. Oh, and I strongly suggest you get a professional trainer to guide you.
Some neophytes land the Salchow jump after a month or two of practice. Others take 2+ years to learn the same jump. Not everyone in skate class gets what the instructor says the first time around. People learn at different speeds when it comes to ice skating, so just keep going and don’t let frustration set in.
Learning ice skating requires that you accumulate a decent amount of kinesthetic intelligence over time. To become a professional skater the whole world wants to watch, you must consistently and passionately increase your ability to make your body move in spectacularly flexible ways.
How to Stop When Ice Skating
You can’t glide forever, which is why learning to stop on ice skates is a critical skill. The T-stop and Snowplow stop are two essential tricks every learner must master.
How to do a Snowplow Stop
To do a snowplow stop, start by reducing your speed by assuming a two-foot glide position. Next, bend your knees and ankles. Then, apply sufficient pressure (not too little or too much) to your blades’ inside edges. When you do this, your heels will naturally begin to angle out. And that’ll have you skidding rather than gliding, bringing you to a successful, safe stop.
How to do a T-stop
You can do either the right-foot T-stop or the left-foot T-stop.
How to do the right-foot T-stop: First off, assume the T-position with your skates, the right one meeting the left one, forming the letter T. As you do that, stretch your right arm to the front while putting the left one to the back. Then, stand and achieve balance while in this position. Practice this until you can maintain that T-position without moving.
Next, use your left foot to push off and do a nice glide, holding the right foot (the stopping foot) up. The free foot should help you control the glide. At this juncture, you’re ready to start putting your foot down.
Avoid dragging the stopping foot on the inside edge. Instead, use the outer edge to push the foot toward the left heel. And be careful or you’ll step on the left blade. Then, angle the right-foot blade to the outside edge while bending your knees all the way to a nice, controlled stop. To do the left-foot T-stop, repeat the steps above, but begin with the left foot.
Beginner Ice Skating Tips
I’ll start with the Dos.
11 Must-know Ice Skating Dos for New Skaters
- Get a decent pair of skates that fit you just right if you intend to practice this fun sport for years. Wearing poorly fitting boots most often hurts your feet. But if you’re not planning on doing it frequently, you can use rented skates.
- Lace up the skates correctly. Watch YT videos and learn.
- Warm up before you step onto the ice so that your body won’t react adversely to cold weather.
- Always lean forward, knees bent and arms stretched forward for balance.
- Pay someone to teach you the basics if you’re an absolute beginner. It helps.
- ALWAYS finish a move like you’re the best ice skater the world’s ever seen.
- Practice, practice, practice.
- Do have fun. This is the most important Do since it’s the whole point of learning to skate on ice.
- Get a good ice skate bag to carry everything you need: skates, ice skate guards, soakers, gloves, water bottles, clothes, etc.
- Know what hollow profile would work best for you. For most beginners, a 1/2″ hollow works just fine. Hollow is how deep or shallow your blades are, a factor that determines how deeply you sink into the ice and how secure your edges are.
- Keep your blades properly sharpened: Most ice skates come “factory sharpened”, which almost always means not sharpened at all or not sharpening to the skater’s liking. So, ask around to find a skate tech who’ll sharpen your skates from time to time. It’s not expensive BTW. A sharpen costs in the $10-$20 range in most places.
9 Ice Skating Don’ts
- Don’t buy the cheapest ice skates you can find because these tend to be unsafe and can hamper your progress as a learner. Go for good-quality boots, ones that’ll support your ankles adequately and whose blades aren’t terrible.
- Don’t look at your toe picks. Avoid collisions with strangers!
- Don’t lean backward while gliding. Avoid those not-always-funny falls on your backside. You could break something, you know.
- Don’t try any kind of jump as a beginner without professional guidance. Jumps can go haywire, especially if your blades and jumping technique suck.
- Don’t feel too bad if you’re not progressing as fast as you’d hoped. Learning something worth learning takes time.
- Don’t practice excessively.
- Don’t worry about anyone judging you for wearing protective gear. It’s better to have others think you’re overdoing gear and save your limbs than to try to fit in and get broken bones. Thankfully, skaters don’t judge beginners or anyone else much at all.
- Don’t stay on the ice at any time. Get back up fast.
- Don’t ice skate while drunk, even if the rink you’re at sells alcohol. Being drunk is a bad idea, especially if you’re looking to do a bit of flirting while skating lol.
Pain After Ice Skating
Many beginners ask, “Is it normal to experience pain or have blisters after a skating session? When you’re new to ice skating, you may feel a bit of discomfort as you learn the ropes. And yes, be ready for a blister or two or at least a certain amount of discomfort before your feet get used to wearing ice skates.
But how do you deal with skating-related pain? A certified orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Lance Silverman answers that question best. According to Dr. Silverman, it’s common for beginners in skating to hurt their ankles. It’s normal to wake up to aching, sore feet. This is because ice skating involves loads of footwork, and your foot and ankle muscles work hard.
One way to deal with the pain is to perform ankle-strengthening exercises. Practice simple off-ice ankle-strengthening routines to enhance your overall balance. A wobble board is another good way to minimize ankle pain. Wobble boards help you balance your body better. And as you do that, your muscles become stronger and hurt much less.
Another common cause of ankle pain is wearing poorly-fitting skates. It’s a common problem with people who use cheap rental ice skates. If your feet slide right in, you most likely have the wrong size. Skates with too much room can hurt your ankles. They pile a ton of pressure on your ankle ligaments (outer), and you’ll likely experience pain upon waking up.
So, before picking that pair of rented skates at the ice rink, ask an experienced staffer to help you choose the right fit.
Most importantly, keep skating. As your ankles skate more and more, they’ll learn to adapt to this whole new experience and the discomfort will lessen over time. It’s a small price to pay to learn a skill that’ll thrill you for years.
Lastly, DON’T overdo it. Don’t over-practice. In golfing, you don’t practice for a day and suddenly morph into the legendary Tiger Woods. Similarly, you shouldn’t try to master ice skating in a day. Learning anything requires patience and persistence. And skating is no exception.
Learning to Stake On Ice: Conclusion
Learning the basics of ice skating requires using the right gear, dressing right, working with a coach, and most importantly, practicing with persistence. It’s also important to overcome the fear of falling by learning how to fall safely and wearing protective gear such as knee pads, a helmet, elbow pads, and gloves.
Understand that using skates of any kind takes some getting used to, so be patient. It’ll probably be hard and painfully slow at the start. And you may fall a few times, but be persistent. Remember this simple rule: stay low at all times when skating on ice.
You’ll soon mesmerize everyone with the jumps, spins, and glides you’ll seem to effortlessly do. Happy skating!