It is starting to be a little too brisk for that morning walk, not quite enough snow for that cross-country ski, and the mountain is just a little too far or a little too expensive for a quick afternoon workout. It is almost impossible to turn on the TV this time of year and not catch another figure skating show or competition. Aside from the celebrity status allure of ice skating champions, skating is a captivating sport because it combines strength and athleticism with grace and beauty. But the athletic benefit and the feeling of freedom and serenity associated with skating are not reserved for the stars alone. Anyone can ice skate.
Ice skating is a terrific form of exercise to both tone the body and build cardiovascular fitness.
Skating tones and builds muscle in the buttocks, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and abdomen. Holding the arms out for balance further increases the heart rate and works the muscle groups in the shoulders, back, biceps and triceps. This is all great news if you know how to skate, but if you are not a skater, it can seem intimidating to get started. To the novice, skating can seem like a difficult skill to acquire. The image of a beginner skater with their knees knocked together and the arches of their feet nearly dragging on the ice generally does not mean that they are hopeless skaters.