Ice skating has undeniable benefits for your health and figure.
INCREASES ENDURANCE
Endurance is of great importance, as it not only provides intense fat burning, but also improves immunity and overall physical condition and performance.
While skating, the heart and muscles work in a measured mode - the pulse and movements are not too intense, but not slow either. Thanks to this pace, you can spend 30 or 40 or more minutes at the skating rink, which will burn a lot of calories.
DEVELOPES MOVEMENT COORDINATION
Standing on skates, much less actively skating on them, is not easy for them, as it requires an excellent sense of balance. While skating, almost all the muscles of our body work, since in order to maintain balance in all positions it is necessary to include the muscles of the legs, abdomen, back, and arms.
In addition, skating develops neuromuscular connections, which allow us to successfully coordinate the work of our arms, legs and body at the same time. Ice skating is a kind of functional training.
DEVELOPS POWER
Of course, it is impossible to gain muscle mass and create muscle definition on skates, but it is easy to develop strong leg muscles. To do this, it is quite powerful and pushes away from the ice as far as possible. Judge for yourself - the skaters have very beautiful and strong legs. And if you squat deeper while performing movements, you will also engage your abdominal muscles.
SKATING WEIGHT LOSS
If you skate outside in the cold, the number of calories you burn increases. On average, about 180-250 kcal are consumed in 1 hour of skating in a warm room. If you ride at high speed and perform some elements, this figure increases to 300 kcal per hour.
Taking into account the fact that during skating, the muscles of the whole body are involved in the work, and the pulse increases, blood supply to all organs and tissues occurs, this allows you to burn fat reserves faster, and, therefore, you can get rid of cellulite
Cutting through the air while racing on skates is a great fun that charges you with energy and makes you feel light and fast. And even though before this you will have to fall more than once and constantly warm your hands, but in the long term this hobby is a good fighter against excess fat and a protector of your health!
Features of ice skating, skating
Skates are an amazing invention of antiquity. Although it is difficult to imagine, people managed to ride on the tibia of animals and even on wooden sticks, which were later replaced by metal tubes. The fun was very common, but the difficulty remained in how exactly to attach the sliding blade to the boots and shoes. The first sustainable solution to this issue came to the mind of Peter I, who simply screwed the blades to his boots.
Despite the centuries-old history of skating, the first skating rinks for smooth gliding were built only in the middle of the 19th century. At the end of this century, the first Russian and European skating championships began to be held.
Initially, there are two main types of skates: adults and children. Almost all types of adult ones have removable blades, while for children, on the contrary, they are attached to the boots at the factory and cannot be removed.
Today, depending on their purpose, skates are divided into 6 types.
1. Walking tourist skates are a godsend for those who cannot imagine life without traveling across snow-covered plains and icy rivers. The model is a wide, removable blade that attaches to a standard ski boot. If desired, a tourist can exchange skis for skates during his next trip.
2. Pleasure skates are the most common option for amateur skating and playing. They are more comfortable and affordable to purchase than professional hockey and figure skates.
3. Figure skating skates. The main distinguishing feature is the presence of teeth on the front of the blade for performing complex shaped elements.
4. Hockey skates. They can be with a removable or cast blade. They also differ in lightness and maneuverability, depending on which player they are intended for - an attacker or a goalkeeper.
5. Short track skates - have a rigidly fixed, slightly shortened blade and a special sharpening for sharp cornering.
6. Speed skating skates – “flaps”. They have a complex system of removable blades. The only skates in which the sliding part is movable and located on hinges.
The benefits of ice skating
Ice skating is good for the whole family! For each individual, this is a whole range of wellness moments that will help you get in shape and strengthen your immune system.
1. Training the cardiovascular system, in particular, the endurance of the heart muscle. Along with walking, running or cycling, skating perfectly develops the body's endurance, adapting the heart and blood vessels to high loads. Over time, you will feel more alert, wake up easier in the morning, recover faster, and optimally tolerate changes in temperature and humidity. In addition, regular skating training provides a high level of prevention against myocardial diseases and deterioration of vascular condition.
2. Hardening the body. Cold air, low temperatures, constant movement, which warms up the blood, contribute to constant fluctuations in pressure, body temperature, and acceleration of metabolism. All this ensures restoration and activation of the body’s defense processes and increased immunity. The slowed down processes of cell regeneration, natural cleansing and the fight against pathogenic bacteria and viruses also return to normal.
3. Maintaining good physical shape and muscle tone. Regularly, when skating, be it classic or roller skating in the summer, you actively work out the muscles of your legs, but at the same time other muscle groups are strengthened - the buttocks, the abs. This is a great way to avoid significant loss of tone, for example, after childbirth or with a low level of physical strength and a small amount of training. Thanks to the relatively low tempo of movements with the possibility of smooth transitions, even a heavy person can gradually master skating and use skating as one of the ways to reduce volume and strengthen muscles.
4. Weight loss. The combination of fast and slow skating, play and figure skating is an excellent opportunity to effectively lose weight!
5. Strengthening ligaments, tendons, developing joints without a strong shock load on them. In this case, skating acts as an excellent way to maintain the motor ability of the joints and maintain the maximum possible range of motion of the arms and legs, which is very important for the health and comfort of human existence.
However, those who suffer from inflammatory joint diseases, particularly in the knee and ankle joints, should refrain from skating. In case of chronic diseases of the heart and blood vessels, as well as in the postoperative period, this should not be done either. Limit yourself from skating if you feel unwell, dizzy, or have recently suffered from inflammatory diseases of the middle ear, ENT organs, or pneumonia. You cannot visit the skating rink if the temperature is high.
Skating and weight loss
Losing weight by skating is one of the most effective and fun weight loss aids. This is due to the free form of classes, freedom of movement and a wide choice of tempo of movements. You can participate in gaming activities, hone specific figure steps on the ice, or simply walk around the skating rink at an average speed - as a result, all this can be alternated and combined, which will make weight loss on ice skating even faster.
Let's look at a few of the main factors in skating that help you lose weight.
1. Good mood. A positive attitude while skating is reinforced by fresh air and the opportunity to combine training with games and communication in a large company. The anti-stress effect of such leisure is immediately reflected in the well-being and ability of the body to cope with incoming substances. More serotonin is produced, which is involved in food processing and suppresses insatiable appetite, and also blocks the body’s excessive storage. Already deposited fats are broken down faster if you successfully fight stress - this makes all systems and organs work well.
2. Changing the rhythm and intensity of classes. This makes skating an excellent cardio sport, one of the best fat-burning activities you can choose. During skating, metabolism accelerates, oxygen supply to tissues improves, and cleansing processes improve. With regular skating, the fat burning effect can be launched for quite a long time, and the results will not keep you waiting. The average duration of classes should be 40 minutes. During this time, at a high enough training speed, you can burn up to 400 calories.
3. Strengthening muscles. Skating not only helps you lose weight but also shapes your body. You won’t get a clear relief from this, but your buttocks, thighs, and legs will always be toned. Moreover, without any extra effort and completely naturally, they will return to normal and look attractive.
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Sports are wonderful. Regular sports activities promise certain achievements not only in sports, but also in life. But, in addition, they also cultivate strong-willed and moral qualities in the occupant, strengthen health and aspirations for improvement.
You can go ice skating at any time of the year: if in winter we take figure skates or amateur skates to ride on the ice, then in summer we can put on roller skates and skate “with the breeze” along asphalt or cobblestone sidewalks and squares.
Ice skating brings a lot of joy and also helps you lose weight. During skating, the muscles are trained more actively than during regular running or race walking, and the load on the joints, on the contrary, is reduced. The figure becomes slimmer, flexibility appears, the skin - especially on the thighs - becomes smooth, and the appearance of cellulite is noticeably reduced.
All these advantages make skating an excellent way to lose weight, and in winter this method, if used “wisely,” allows you to maintain your figure and not worry about having to “lose weight for the summer” again. Winter sports are also useful for strengthening the immune system, and almost everyone can skate, and at almost any age. The exception is people with serious diseases of the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems, as well as those who have recently suffered a serious illness and have not yet fully recovered.
The main advantage of winter skating is considered to be muscle tightening, which goes in parallel with a decrease in fat layers: the skin does not sag, but tightens, and, due to improved blood circulation, is somewhat rejuvenated.
How ice skating works for weight loss
When we skate on ice, even at a very slow pace, almost all the muscles of our body are actively working - even the eye ones: after all, we need to clearly see everything that is “straight ahead” and have time to monitor the general situation around us. And there are also stabilizer muscles, which during normal movement work “to a minimum,” but when sliding on ice they need to ensure the balance of the entire body, and for this reason, calorie consumption increases sharply. Of course, these muscles are used both during running and during normal walking, but skating is significantly different from these types of movement: we do not try to “keep balance” every second when we walk or run. Therefore, by skating regularly during the winter months, you will look great by spring, and seasonal colds and epidemics will bypass you.
Another important plus is a great mood: winter sports lovers rarely get sick of irritability, anxiety and depression.
How many calories are burned by skating?
How many calories are burned when skating? “On average,” it is believed that in an hour of training you can “burn” about 300 kcal, but their amount is directly affected by the pace of movement. For example, if you ride slowly for an hour, you can spend 300 kcal, or only 150-160 kcal; if you add jumping, 500-700 kcal will be lost; faster skating will help you spend from 500 to 1000 kcal in an hour - this is a very noticeable result.
Constantly changing the amplitude of movement of the hips also helps speed up the process of losing weight on skates: at first you can glide smoothly, then as quickly as possible, and finally at an average speed; The stride length should also be changed.
Without stress, skating just 2-3 times a week, in a month you can get rid of 3 kg of excess weight - such a schedule will not require much effort.
What to expect from training
In order not to be disappointed and “burn out”, you should know the approximate norms for losing weight when skating.
If you are not overweight, your muscles will become stronger and your body contour will improve - this is a good way to maintain physical fitness.
If you are overweight, riding twice a week, following a daily routine, proper nutrition and no bad habits, you can lose up to 3-5 kg in a month.
If you have varying degrees of obesity, you need to exercise carefully, without raising your heart rate above 85 beats per minute (a heart rate monitor will help you). The weight will come off slowly but surely. Exercise regularly and watch your diet.
Equipment and technology
You can rent skates - these days it’s inexpensive, but having your own thing is always more convenient and comfortable. Your own skates “fit” better on your feet, and you can skate more calmly: there is no “foreign” energy left in them, not to mention hygiene issues - many people’s feet sweat a lot when exercising. So, if you seriously decide to work out for the sake of a beautiful and strong figure, you should buy professional skates - for example, figure skates or hockey skates, and be sure to fit them in size.
The foot in the boot should “sit” so tightly that after lacing the foot does not move inside - there should be no free space left there. The heel should rest against the heel and be clearly fixed. At the toe and at the very top, the boots are laced a little looser, and in the instep area - tighter.
If you are riding outdoors, you need to dress warmly, but clothes should not stick out or dangle, otherwise it will be difficult to maintain balance. Clothing that is tight but does not restrict movement, such as a tracksuit made from natural fabrics, will be just right.
It is necessary to warm up before going on the ice: first you can do this under the supervision of a coach, and then on your own. It is impossible to learn how to skate correctly based only on theory, but beginner “skaters” need to learn how to fall correctly: at the first stage this is the most important science. You should not fall on your knees or elbows - this is how injuries occur, but falling sideways reduces them to a minimum. If you had to fall on your back, do not try to lean on your hands - this is also fraught with fractures and other injuries. In general, when you fall, try to turn around in the air so that the blow falls on one buttock and thigh, and the arm on this side of the body should be bent and tense. This is excellent protection against injury, and it is much easier to get up from this position.
If you ride not for an hour, but for 2-3 hours - and this happens most often, then you are almost guaranteed muscle pain the next day. There is nothing wrong with this, but such consequences interfere with normal work, so in the evening, after skating, you should take a warm bath with sea salt or herbs: there will be no pain, or almost no pain.
It's easiest for those who just love skating. Even if you “happen” to gain weight – for example, thanks to New Year’s feasts, regular skating “for pure pleasure” as a pleasant addition will help reduce your waist size, tighten your stomach, straighten your hips and improve the relief of your entire body in the shortest possible time.
Here comes the motivation
It's a lot of fun to skate with the whole family, or with friends and loved ones - then you definitely won't want to give up training. You can also arrange a wonderful photo shoot at the skating rink, so that next winter you will have a wonderful incentive to do similar activities. You just have to look at the bright and cheerful “photos” to quickly jump off the couch and run to the skating rink: you need to lose weight with joy and pleasure!
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Having shown a desire to start spending an exciting, sober time, everyone is looking for a suitable exciting activity for themselves, which, in addition to a good mood, can provide an opportunity to become a little stronger and more resilient. If you decide to start skating, the benefits of which are obvious and very significant, you just need to show a little perseverance and the result will not take too long to arrive. Increasing the overall tone of the body, mental freshness and excellent psychological state - this is the minimum list of positive qualities that you can achieve by dashingly cutting intricate patterns on the ice rink with the blade of your skates.
Skating is a form of aerobics. At the same time, you train the cardiovascular system, successfully replacing jogging and other exercises that can put undesirable stress on your knees and joints, which often leads to increased fatigue and even injury. The effectiveness of the lesson can be significantly enhanced if, while sliding on the ice, you intensively wave your arms. This will provide a benefit to your other muscle groups that also need regular exercise.
You can get rid of excess weight. However, here you should push a little, significantly extending the riding time, increasing the distance and continuity. The effect of your weight loss will differ quite significantly if, instead of half an hour a day, you exercise twice as long, while switching to a four-day training regimen per week. When making a race, estimate the approximate distance that you manage to cover in a certain period of time, and, in the future, constantly try to increase it, setting your own small personal records.
Start your fight against excess weight with continuous training. However, you should not exhaust yourself too much - balance, feeling that edge that makes you more resilient. Start with short distances, then, maintaining a constant and steady pace, gradually extend the races. By working your legs, you are quietly training your lower back, buttocks and thighs, while also working your abdominal muscles.
By attending training, you will improve your psychological state. This is a great way to relax, the benefits of skating extend not only to the body, but also to the psyche. You will be able to escape from professional activities, personal problems and stress, which, unfortunately, are constantly inherent in our modern life. Spending more time in the fresh air, you get the opportunity to throw many unpleasant things out of your head and find the answer to many important questions, temporarily surrendering to a sense of freedom, having fun carving sparkling crumbs.
When going out onto the ice rink, an adult or child will definitely learn to control their body and become much more confident physically and psychologically. Adults become more efficient and are ready to move mountains at work, performing various tasks from their superiors. Children begin to lead a more active rhythm of life, obvious successes are noticed in their studies, and improvements in their mental state are noticeable. This is the benefit of this winter sport, and also simply: to make you stronger, more resilient and healthier!
Ice skating is a great reason to gather a group of people in the winter, when you want to spend time outdoors. Residents of big cities are incredibly lucky - after all, on indoor skating rinks they have no chance of freezing even in severe frost. An effective means of having fun for many of us has turned into an exciting hobby. However, in addition to the charge of positivity and good mood, skating is incredibly useful in other aspects:
- Development of muscle tone. First of all, in skating, the muscles of the legs, lower back and abs are actively worked. It's no secret that skating enthusiasts are more resilient than those who avoid such training. The key factors for maintaining good physical shape are the intensity and duration of skating.
- Burning extra calories. In pursuit of the goal of losing excess weight, you need to ride, constantly increasing the load. We are talking about the time spent riding, as well as the distance you travel in one workout. Try not to take breaks during one time on the ice, because it is much more effective to skate 100 minutes without a break than 4 times for 25 minutes. The main thing is not to overdo it; in the first days you should ride less, but with each new workout you need to break your own records both in speed and time.
- Aerobic exercise. As you know, jogging is an excellent way to train your cardiovascular muscles. Ice skating is considered even more effective in this regard, since during it the knee joints and spine are not subjected to intense stress during jolts. The intensity of aerobic training can be increased if you actively help yourself with your hands while skating.
- Stability of the vestibular apparatus. Speed skating is considered an excellent balance training activity. In particular, in children who regularly skate, there is a decrease in excitability in the balance organs.
- Hardening. By riding in open areas, you can significantly improve thermoregulatory processes in the body. Cold air, which affects exposed areas of the body, helps increase the body's resistance to colds.
- Training attention and spatial orientation. Skating around a lot of people, making turns or skating in different directions, can develop your spatial awareness and alertness skills.
- Sustainable mental health and self-confidence. Ice skating allows you to disconnect from current circumstances and take a break from stress. For some of us, body control and balance are quite challenging and training requires a high level of determination and preparedness as speed skating physically requires balance and body control. Therefore, by achieving success and regular victories in skating, you can significantly increase your self-confidence.
Don't miss the opportunity to improve your physical and emotional well-being, go skating, and regular training will bring you incomparable benefits!