Advice for a Returning Skater? | Golden Skate

Advice for a Returning Skater?

macy

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
Are there any former competitive skaters on here who have gotten themselves back into shape just for the sake of being able to get back on the ice again? i was a competitive skater for 13 years and after high school i went off to college and just lost interest. i ended up gaining a lot of weight since my competitive years (about 80 lbs over the last 10 years) and am in the process of losing it. i also haven't been on my skates in going on 5 years, but i miss it so much. i definitely will never compete again but i just want to skate for the heck of it and maybe gain some doubles back eventually. i obviously really need to build A LOT of strength back up before i even think in that direction, but i wanted to get some advice from anyone who has done this before. are there any exercises that really helped? any eating tips or tricks? anything at all would be helpful. :)
 

sandraskates

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Country
United-States
Welcome back to the skating world!

After I passed my adult gold freestyle umpteen years ago, I skated for a little while longer and then left the sport for several years. One Sunday, I couldn't stand it anymore and decided that I must go back and skate again. I'm loving it and I even work at the rink part-time as a staff coach.

I think the hardest thing to accept was that it was going to take me a loonng time to regain my skills. Being a lot older and about 15 lbs heavier doesn't help. Even after being back on the ice for 3 years now, jumps that I used to "do in my sleep" are now scary and challenging (like a dumb single flip jump).

So I say take it slow and be sure to do gentle stretching exercises to get some limberness back. Once you start skating again some of the weight should come off and you'll also regain some muscle tone.

And don't say you'll never compete again! I said that too - HAHAHAHAHA. I found another adult and skated a duet in our local showcase competition (got 1st place) and then with another partner, skated the program again at National Showcase. Today I just passed my adult pre-bronze Moves in the Field.
You may find that the Adult test and competition tracks very attractive.
Never say "never." :)
 

macy

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
Welcome back to the skating world!

After I passed my adult gold freestyle umpteen years ago, I skated for a little while longer and then left the sport for several years. One Sunday, I couldn't stand it anymore and decided that I must go back and skate again. I'm loving it and I even work at the rink part-time as a staff coach.

I think the hardest thing to accept was that it was going to take me a loonng time to regain my skills. Being a lot older and about 15 lbs heavier doesn't help. Even after being back on the ice for 3 years now, jumps that I used to "do in my sleep" are now scary and challenging (like a dumb single flip jump).

So I say take it slow and be sure to do gentle stretching exercises to get some limberness back. Once you start skating again some of the weight should come off and you'll also regain some muscle tone.

And don't say you'll never compete again! I said that too - HAHAHAHAHA. I found another adult and skated a duet in our local showcase competition (got 1st place) and then with another partner, skated the program again at National Showcase. Today I just passed my adult pre-bronze Moves in the Field.
You may find that the Adult test and competition tracks very attractive.
Never say "never." :)

if i ever did decide to compete again i wouldn't mind doing artistic, i did a few competitions when i was in high school and did pretty well lol. its such a fun way to compete.

i know some things will be scary for me too...i had a killer layback spin and even thinking about bending that far back while spinning makes me nervous lol.

i did a strength work out for the first time in a while yesterday (with a lot of leg work...ouch i'm sore). baby steps!
 

Charlotte 71

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 27, 2005
Are there any former competitive skaters on here who have gotten themselves back into shape just for the sake of being able to get back on the ice again? i was a competitive skater for 13 years and after high school i went off to college and just lost interest. i ended up gaining a lot of weight since my competitive years (about 80 lbs over the last 10 years) and am in the process of losing it. i also haven't been on my skates in going on 5 years, but i miss it so much. i definitely will never compete again but i just want to skate for the heck of it and maybe gain some doubles back eventually. i obviously really need to build A LOT of strength back up before i even think in that direction, but i wanted to get some advice from anyone who has done this before. are there any exercises that really helped? any eating tips or tricks? anything at all would be helpful. :)

Probably the most important thing for your health and your skating is to make friends with your body again. I haven't had my skates back on in at least 10 years, after skating in childhood/teen, stopping for 8 or so years, starting again recreationally and getting axel/easy doubles back and doing some adult club ice dancing, which was a blast - and then stopping again and gaining more than 50 pounds from career stress/middle-age metabolic slowdown and just losing touch with caring about my body. But the thing that finally helped me lose weight and find peace with my physical being was kundalini yoga. It's not for everyone, as it has a spiritual dimension that might not agree with some people (I'm agnostic, so I take the spiritual positivity and let the religious stuff roll off), but it helped me regain my flexibility, energy, ease of movement and positivity. I'd love to get back on the ice at some point too, probably will when I have more time. Good luck and have fun with skating - no pressure now!
 

macy

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
Probably the most important thing for your health and your skating is to make friends with your body again. I haven't had my skates back on in at least 10 years, after skating in childhood/teen, stopping for 8 or so years, starting again recreationally and getting axel/easy doubles back and doing some adult club ice dancing, which was a blast - and then stopping again and gaining more than 50 pounds from career stress/middle-age metabolic slowdown and just losing touch with caring about my body. But the thing that finally helped me lose weight and find peace with my physical being was kundalini yoga. It's not for everyone, as it has a spiritual dimension that might not agree with some people (I'm agnostic, so I take the spiritual positivity and let the religious stuff roll off), but it helped me regain my flexibility, energy, ease of movement and positivity. I'd love to get back on the ice at some point too, probably will when I have more time. Good luck and have fun with skating - no pressure now!

do you think any kind of yoga in general would be good, or specifically that kind? and i totally understand about career stress etc...i recently left a very mentally draining job where i was so anxious and stressed all the time, it got to the point where i was taking it home with me everyday and was affecting my health. so thank God i found something else! i also have PCOS which contributes to my weight gain (and is VERY difficult to deal with when you're in a small body sport :rolleye:), but gotta make the best of what you can't control!
 

MiraiFan

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 6, 2016
Good advice here, I think. I was a former gymnast who returned to the sport at 37. I was always fairly athletic, but wow, was I ever sore in the beginning. It took time and I did a lot of general conditioning--strength training and stretching, and a lot of cardio. It came back slowly and I love the sport more than ever and am currently (at 45) in the best shape of my life. Took up skating 3 years ago because I wanted a challenge and am having a blast. No pressure, but I personally find the adult test track to be super motivating and just passed pre-bronze moves. It's super fun and we have a great group of adults at my rink. Enjoy the process and go from there. Best of luck!!!
 

macy

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
Good advice here, I think. I was a former gymnast who returned to the sport at 37. I was always fairly athletic, but wow, was I ever sore in the beginning. It took time and I did a lot of general conditioning--strength training and stretching, and a lot of cardio. It came back slowly and I love the sport more than ever and am currently (at 45) in the best shape of my life. Took up skating 3 years ago because I wanted a challenge and am having a blast. No pressure, but I personally find the adult test track to be super motivating and just passed pre-bronze moves. It's super fun and we have a great group of adults at my rink. Enjoy the process and go from there. Best of luck!!!

wow thats awesome, good for you!! there is hope after all :)
 

Charlotte 71

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 27, 2005
Hi again, Macy, I think any kind of yoga is great, and some are more physically strenuous than others- hatha yoga is the most popular and accessible yoga you would probably find in drop-in classes at your community rec center or local studio if you want to give it a try, for flexibility, balance, and feeling peaceful and in tune with your body. Vinyasa yoga is very popular and is a more fluid, fast-moving, fitness-based approach. I love kundalini because it is a combination of gentle exercise/poses, breath work, which is very beneficial to me, and chanting and meditation, which puts me in a peaceful and happy frame of mind. When I have class I feel the most wonderful energy and sense of well-being all day long. you could research and see examples of the various types on youtube if you're interested - there is a lot out there. But I recommend taking a class or drop-in classes if you try it, rather than self-teaching from books or video, because the pacing and direction on how to breathe is a very important part of all yogas, and you get that best from an instructor.

I think as adults, our bodies and minds are so different than they were as kids - so coming back to skating after a long break, we can't just jump in as we did before and expect a certain level of performance from our bodies, but have the goal of finding joy in it and love and respect your body as it is now. I think our satisfaction in all kinds of physical exercise can be so much greater now that we're not so performance and goal-driven as we were. Even just breathing, deeply and well, is such a pleasure. I suggested yoga because it helped me discover that mindset. : )
 
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