During the winter, many people want to bundle up and stay inside, yet there are a variety of exercise activities that are fun and can help you stay in shape during the winter. If you are looking to lose weight, it may be difficult to imagine yourself out twirling around on the ice, yet this is a fantastic sport for weight loss. Forget about the images of miniature girls in spandex suits, they are just a fraction of the ice skating community. At your local rink, you will find people of a variety of sizes and skill levels all bundled up, getting an excellent winter workout in.
About Ice SkatingIce skating is a popular winter sport that provides both exhilarating fun and cardiovascular benefits. This is a fairly inexpensive sport that can be completed by the entire family. There are various styles of ice skating including figure skating and speed skating.
Weight Loss and Ice SkatingIce skating is an aerobic exercise that aids in weight loss. According to the United States Figure Skating Association, recreational ice skating burns between 250 and 810 calories an hour depending on weight. Competitive ice skating burns even more calories, ranging from 450 to 1,080 per hour. At this rate, ice skating almost burns as many calories an hour as running.
Muscle ToneAs you continue spending time out on the ice, you will build muscle tone. By building muscle, you get the added benefit of increasing your metabolic rate. This means that you will lose more weight, even while asleep, than without the increased muscle mass. While ice skating, the leg muscles are utilized the most, in particularly the hamstrings and quadriceps. In addition to these muscles, you will use your back and abdominal muscles to maintain your posture and balance.
EnduranceAs you continue your ice skating practice, you will notice an increase in your endurance. Over time, you will notice that you are able to maintain a constant, steady pace longer. In order to gain these benefits, you will want to increase the time you spend on the ice gradually. This endurance will spread to other parts of your life and you may notice that you have more energy to complete tasks that used to fatigue you.
Scheduling Ice SkatingIf you want to maximize weight loss or gain confidence on the ice, consider signing up for lessons or a clinic at a local ice skating rink. You can begin with 30-minute lessons as you build your endurance up to the recommended 50 minutes.
ExpectationsWhen starting out ice skating, expect to feel some soreness, especially in your ankles, but do not let this discourage you. A good pair of ice skates can help alleviate these side effects. Start out slowly. When selecting what to wear, jogging or workout pants, sweats and stretch pants are all good choices because they are not restricting. Layer so that you can shed clothes as you warm up.
