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Figure Skating Muscle Memory and Time Off the Ice
Ice Mom recently did a post about figure skaters traveling on vacations working in some skating practice on the way. Sometime skaters need a break from the ice and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I know that there are skaters out there like me who get thrown off a little when they get back on the ice after even a short three-day break. There was a comment that caught my eye under Ice Mom’s post and thought it would be an interesting topic.
If she’s that nervous after 3 days, she’s putting too much pressure on herself. The need to skate, because she’s afraid of what might happen if she doesn’t, just feeds that anxiety. If she really has her Axel, she’s not going to lose it after 3 days.
As parents, we need to talk to our skaters about what is best for them and why, and not let the skater (or overzealous coaches) dictate to us what they want or think they need. She might be empowered by how well she skates after a short break. It might give her confidence that would carry over to other areas, in and out of skating.
Fear should not be her motivation to keep on skating…the joy of skating should be. Joy is not determined by whether you have an Axel or not.
It’s not fear that sends me back to the ice after a few days’ break. It’s muscle memory. I’m learning new skills and the complicated arm and leg movements can’t be replicated on land. Visiting museums or taking a jet boat ride aren’t going to help with my muscle memory, either.
Muscle memory is when a person’s body learns something by repetition. Over time, the movement becomes as natural as breathing.
After a break, I haven’t been on the ice practicing the stuff I’ve just learned. Without that repetition, that muscle memory isn’t as strong. If I practice something the wrong way when I get back out on the ice, it takes more time to correct it. That can hold me back from my skating goals and frustrate me. You spend all this money to skate to your full potential and then you leave the ice for a while – you’re going to have a set back.
However, taking a break can take all the pressure and stress away. A skater can come back to the ice and focus better. Everyone’s different. Some people respond well to time off. I don’t.
Today on Rinkformation:
Ice Mom: How to Respond to Figure Skating Poor Sportsmanship
SynchroMom: How Do You Keep Track of the Synchronized Skating Schedule?
Ice Girl: Figure Skating Muscle Memory and Time Off the Ice
My advice to figure skaters on vacation: Skate a couple of times, if you can find a rink and your parents are willing to take you. Otherwise, do off-ice jumps and training. Do jump walk-throughs. Run through your program in your head. Step through programs with choreography. Possibly bring your skates, put your guards on, and walk around a little bit. You might use PIC skates to train.
This mom writes that I should skate for the joy of it. Well, I do. However, I’ll tell you: skating isn’t enjoyable when I work hard for something and then lose it. That’s frustrating. I have skating goals. Achieving those goals is satisfying. To achieve those goals, I need to be on the ice.
Sure, I’m happy to be just to be out on the ice, but skating around at random isn’t what makes it fun for me. Pushing myself and reaching my goals is fun. That’s training.
Not having goals can be fun, too. That’s exercise.
It’s fine to figure skate for exercise, if that’s what you want out of the sport. It’s also fine to train. I need to be on the ice for that.
What about you, skaters? How do you feel about what the parent said about taking time off of skating? Do you agree with me that time off messes with muscle memory or are you cool with a week away from the rink? What about your goals? Are you in it just for fun or do you want the fun plus a challenge? Share what you think in the comments!
Have an idea for a blog post? Well, e-mail Ice Mom. She’ll send it to Ice Girl. icemom.diane@gmail.com
Photo credits:
Calista: A quiet moment: Chris Willis on Flickr.com Creative Commons
Autumn: beautiful ballet dancer in pink: Chris Willis on Flickr.com Creative Commons
Male ballet dancer jumps: Chris Willis on Flickr.com Creative Commons
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Fun is different for everyone. For me it's going to be a great joy if I get my axel or camel spin etc. Skating around can't make me happy any more. Both the rinks in my city close for the summer so I can't be on ice all the time even if I want it but I had off ice jumping and other exercises for strenght and durability. And I had a week on a skating camp. Now I'm back on the ice and I don't feel like I lost my muscle memory. The first practice was weird but now I feel great on ice
But if you go on a vacation and don't do any exercises at all you'll lose a lot. This is true for all sports but figure skating has very specific muscle memory so you lose more. Moms sometimes can't understand that especially if they never practiced any sport seriously.
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Hi, zambonita.
I think you're right:
As a non-skating parent, I don't know much about losing muscle memory. My policy is to listen to Ice Girl and make sure she gets what she needs. If her requests sound strange or excessive, I consult Ice Coach.
I completely agree with you. When I go on vacation to visit family, there is a rink nearby, but it is hockey only. The next closest rink is a three hour drive one way (family is out in the country) so that leaves me session skating during vacations which is not satisfying at all, but at least prevents losing conditioning and total muscle memory. Also prevents me from going crazy and bouncing off the walls from not exercising for over a week.
I agree 100%!!
The first practice after a break always feels really weird for me, even if I start to get the feeling back, it's never really the same for a while. But yeah, I agree with you 100%!
Haha yeah, that happens to me after a break too. I go crazy if I don't get my ice. At least we have off-ice exercises that we can do so we don't completely insane!
Synchrogirl jumps and spins nonstop, in the kitchen, livingroom, outside while walking the dogs so we have that covered and continues to do so while on vacation. Her sync coaches taught the skaters some exercise routines to do while on vacation so they stay conditioned for when they return to the ice. When we can't find an open rink this works great for her!
As I said on your mum’s blog, I don't go skating while I'm on holiday with my family as its family time, it would seem selfish to drag my family to a rink while we're meant to be enjoying the place we're visiting and especially as I'm the only one who enjoys skating and my family would get bored pretty quickly. It's nice for me to have a break just to have a little rest and to re-evaluate what I want from the sport. As much as I love skating a little break every now and then isn't going to make much of a difference or at least it doesn't to me. If I'm training 3 or 4 times every week, I think a week or two off here and there is a well deserved treat and a little relaxation never hurt anyone, but I do still do off-ice jumps on holiday and occasionally take my spinner with me as I can do that in the hotel and it takes up less room that skates. I guess it feels a little weird coming back on after a break but I soon get over it and fall easily back into training. But I can understand were you're coming from with the muscle memory but for some reason it doesn't seem to be a problem that happens to me. I don't know why
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So many variables! One of DD’s friends took a week long vacation last August, and it took her about a YEAR to get her jumps consistent again. There have been times when we’ve taken a vacation, no skating, and DD has come back stronger, and others where she’s back at square 1 with some of her jumps.
We have been known to find a rink on the way to/from a vacation, or book a cruise on a ship with an ice rink… just so that she’s not stressing about “losing” anything. It’s amazing how much damage a week away can do to double axel work.
My parents insited on taking my ice girl on Vaca two weeks before her last competition. I never have any say with them, but I made it a condition that they get her to rinks so she could practice. She worked too hard to go backwards. She got to practice at a rink in Spokane, and the Toyota Center in L.A. It was a good experience for her to skate elsewhere, and she came back extra excited about competing and the sport in General.
I think it’s silly to say don’t listen to your kids or their coaches though. Your kids are the ones skating, so their needs in the sport, seem paramount. You’ve hired the coaches for their expetise, so it seems wrong not to listen to them. As long as the two needs mesh, and remain in your budget, as a ice parent, you should be willing to do what’s needed.
When i went on vacation a few years ago I was struggling with my Axel but when i got back on the ice it was better than what it was. This past year over christmas break I didn’t skate at all and i could barley do a double toe it was over 1/2 a rotation cheated but when i got back on the ice it was only about a 1/4 rotation cheated. i guess time off the ice benefits some people and others it dosent
Im in it for the long run for sure!!!
i have only been in freestyle for four monthe and i just barely have my toe loop
my mom is making me stop skating for anywhere between 4 and 9 weeks. It is tourture becouse my tutore is at the rink(bad grade in agebra is the problem) and i have to sit and wach the other kids skate and i dont get to at all. and my mom refusses too take me to the YMCA to work out and she wont start on my dress(she makes them and she says she wont becouse skating is expencive enuph already.) she doesnt get how much i love it and she doesnt wach me skate. The last time she saw me skate was two months ago. She isnt even planning on coming to my first competition. My dad just complains about money and skating being a stupid sport and worthless in the long run becouse im horrible at it.THATS RIGHT HE FLAT OUT TOLD ME I WAS HORRIBLE AT !!! yet he has never seen me skate! he saw me practicing my axel and lutz off ice and i fell a few times. he also says it is way to dangourus! i used to ride horses and got thrown and kicked in the head more then once and he said it was a fine sport.
I dont get it
anyone have any advise?
BTW I am 13 and started skating at 11 and am in prepriliminary (havnt tested yet though)
Yes, I do agree that time off of the ice can mess you up personaly, but honestly i don’t believe that 3 days away from the rink will mess you up completely because I only go with my coach once a week because that’s what our rink provides, and i can land my half flips, waltz – toe-loop, and my new axel just fine. I think maybe more a few or more months.