Warm-up for Success

1. Outline • Stretching v. Warm-up • Definition • Purposes • Effectiveness • Recommendations • Warm-up for Skating • Stretching for Skating • Type of Stretching • When to Stretch • What to Stretch Warm-up for Success A Figure Skaters Guide to Warming Up and Stretching Deborah L. King, PhD, Department Exercise and Sport Sciences, Ithaca College Figure Skating Medical Symposium, CMC Sports Medicine Athletic Performance, December 2010

2. Definitions Warm – up Activities and movements that increase body temperature prior to exercise Stretching Activities or motions that increase the extensibility of muscles

3. Purposes Warm-up • Improve performance • Increase body temperature • Increases muscle force, nerve conduction, rate of chemical reactions, strength and power • Increase heart rate and respiratory rate • Increase blood flow and exchange of O2 and CO2 • Mental/psychological preparation • Imagery, Focus of attention, Motivation, Arousal • Decrease injuries • Increase body temperature • Improve extensibility of muscles

4. Purposes Stretching • Long term (daily stretching over months and years): • Improve flexibility • Attain proper positions or postures for sport • Improved performance • Avoid muscle or joint imbalances • Maintain proper mechanics • Short term (stretching prior to exercise): • Improve extensibility of muscles and pain free range of motion • Prevent muscle strains or other injuries

5. Effectiveness Stretching • Limited and conflicting evidence that stretching PRIOR to exercise decreases injury rates • Pre-participation stretching is • Ineffective in reducing over use injuries (military, running, team sports) • Only somewhat effective in reducing muscle strains • Stretching PRIOR to performance decreases force production of muscles • Pre-participation stretching: • Decreases strength output • Can decrease power output

6. Recommendations Warm-up • Focus on active (dynamic) components: • Generally improve performance • May lessen injury rates • To enhance performance: • Raise body temperature (avoid excessive thermoregulatory strain) • Elevate VO2 • Include brief task-specific bursts • To prevent acute sport specific injuries: • Warm up exercises – about 5 min • Technique alignment exercises – about 5 minutes • Balance exercises – about 5 minutes • Strength & Power exercises – about 2 minutes

7. Specifics for Skaters – Warm-up Practice – Off ice • 5 minutes of activities to raise body temperature • Jump rope , Exercise bike, Slide board, Jogging • 5 minutes dynamic stretching • Ankles, Knee flexors/extensors, Hip flexion/extension, Hip Abduction/Adduction • 5 minutes balance/strength/speed /power • Lunges • Off ice jumps & Landings • Sprints or quick bursts with jump rope, bike, slide board

8. Specifics for Skaters – Warm-up Practice – On ice • 5 minutes of skating to raise body temperature • 5 minutes dynamic stretching • Next to board • Knee flexors/extensors, Hip flexion/extension, Hip Abduction/Adduction • While skating • Lunges, squats • 5 minutes balance/speed/power • Crossovers and glide length of ice on one foot • Waltz jumps focus on height and landing • Power stroking, footwork, …

9. Specifics for Skaters – Warm-up Competition • Off ice warm up (about 15 minutes) prior to on ice group warm-up • Depending on skate order, after group warm-up • Short wait: • Skates on: • Mental run through • Dynamic stretches to stay warm • Long wait • Skates off: • 5-10 minutes warm up that can be repeated • Walk through program off ice • Skates on • Mental run through • Dynamic stretches to stay warm

10. Specifics for Skaters – Warm-up Things to remember: • Rinks are cold • Skaters will cool off quickly • Have Layers • Keep Moving

11. Recommendations Stretching • Flexibility is important • Skaters can easily develop muscle imbalances A habitual stretching program is important • Stretch after practices, in evenings • Raise body temp prior to stretching • Target muscle groups that: • Tend to get tight and are over worked • Allow needed flexibility for sport performance

12. Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching Types of Stretches • Static • Recommended 5 minutes of total stretch per muscle group • Typically do 5 x 60 seconds • PNF Stretching - common technique is Contract-Relax • Contract muscle against resistance for 10 seconds • Relax and stretch for 30 + seconds • Repeat 2 to 5 times • Dynamic Stretching • Move joints through ROM with controlled exaggerated motions • Can do set time or repeat set distances

13. Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching Muscles that tend to get tight: • Calf (gastrocnemius and soleus)

15. Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching Muscles that tend to get tight: • Tibialis Anterior

17. Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching Muscles that tend to get tight: • Low back (erector spinae)

19. Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching Muscles that tend to get tight: • Hip Abductors (TFL, Gluteus Medius)

21. Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching Muscles that tend to get tight: • Hip Adductors (Iliopsoas, rectus femoris)

23. Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching Muscles that tend to get tight: • Hip Flexors (Iliopsoas, rectus femoris)

25. Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching Muscles that tend to get tight: • Hip Extensors (gluteus maximums, hamstrings)

27. Specifics for Skaters – Habitual Stretching Muscles that tend to get tight: • Hip Lateral Rotators (piriformis, gluteus maximus)

29. Stretching Tips • After practice, training, or evenings is recommended • Warm up muscles before stretching • If at rink, find a warm room • Aim for 5 minutes of each muscle group • Many stretches will do more than one muscle group at a time • Focus on: • Muscles prone to tightness/imbalances • Joints needing range of motion • Flexibility does not necessarily • decrease injury rates • Improve performance

30. Three Keys to Success • Warm–up • Raise your body temp, HR, breathing rate • Warm-up • Use dynamic stretching to take muscles through ROM • Warm-up • Add balance, speed, and power activities

31. And Lastly Questions and Discussion …. • Maintain muscle balances and joint ranges of motion with stretching as part of your conditioning program not as part of a warm-up