If you are only just starting with speed skating, you will find that, as the name suggests, speed and balance are everything here, and unless you can get faster, there’s no point in continuing. To help make the journey to becoming faster with each passing day a little easier, here are five pro tips that might come in handy for beginners.
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Learn to Get Low
When you bend your knees on the ice-skating rink, it not only becomes easier to balance yourself, but you will also gain better speed. During every push-off, time it and bend your knees as low as you can without sacrificing balance or alignment. This could make a huge difference during competitions, so work on getting down on your knees as you push off to maximize the momentum.
Get the Right Skates
Be it inline or quad; speed skates significantly differ from the artistic roller skates used for figure skating and even jam skates. If you are confused between jam skates and speed skates, know that jam skates come with a toe plug, while speed skates use a toe stop. They have a lower cut that fits more tightly, the plates are lighter, and minimal padding allows for better speeds and greater maneuverability. Get a pair that makes you feel comfortable and confident, and then keep using them daily until you get used to the skates’ feel.
Learn to Always Look Straight
This is much easier said than done, but it is certainly one of the basics of skating faster on the rink. Now, if you already have a decent skating background, you probably know how to keep your head up while skating, but this could seem like a huge hurdle for beginners. It is instinctive to look down at your feet while skating on the ice, but unless you can look up and ahead, everything from your speed and balance to even your safety will be compromised. Once you manage to learn it, though, you will see a huge improvement in a matter of days.
Get Stronger
The stronger you are per pound of body weight, the better your chances of increasing your speed. To do that, exercise with a purpose. The following exercises are perfect for both beginners and experienced speed skaters:
- Skating lunges
- Crossover Step Ups
- Elevated split squats
- Basic jumps, hops, squats, and sprints
Practice What You Want to Achieve
In sports, it is all about practicing exactly what you want to achieve, which applies here. If speed is what you are looking for, practice for that every day and exclude any routine that might slow you down. For example, too much conditioning can actually hamper your speed, but sprinting and pushing for speed every day can only improve it.
When you take classes from professional coaches, you will learn a lot more later on, but to begin with, these five should come in quite handy.
