Is Ice Skating Going To Be Hard For You? The Self-Check List
Ice skating is a fun activity that people of all ages can enjoy, but it can also be challenging to learn.
Ice skating is hard. What makes it particularly tough is that before you can start learning different ice skating moves, you have first to learn how to stand up on the ice to keep your balance.
The best way for any beginner figure skater or ice skater is to learn from an experienced skating coach. That’s why we created Ice Coach Online – our online coaching platform with real-time feedback and video analysis that allow coaches and students worldwide to connect while they practice their jumps and spins! All of our coaches are certified professionals who will help you improve at your own pace! We even teach ballet, fitness, and more. This article will cover how complex (or not) ice skating will be for you to learn.
Ice Skating Versus Roller Skating?
While there are some differences between ice skating and roller skates, their essential purpose is similar. Both involve speed and balance. There are also many differences between the two sports. In addition to the different surfaces, ice skating can be considered more dangerous due to the sharp blades attached to the bottom of the skates. Both types of skating are enjoyable.
Ice skating and roller skating require similar basic skills. For beginners, ice skating is sometimes a little easier than roller skating as the blade flows across the ice with much less friction than wheels, and the mechanics of stopping can be easier to master on ice. Both are excellent ways to get into shape and stay healthy! If you can ice skate, some of your skills will transfer to roller skates without ever trying it before. The same applies to roller skaters trying to ice skate for the first time.
How Do You Determine If Ice Skating Will Be A Challenge For You?
Once you decide you’d like to learn to ice skate, you will likely find this sport challenging at first. As with any sport, the more you practice, the better you will become. The adage Practice Makes Perfect has truth to it.
Think for a second about karate as a sport. You have never participated before, and would you expect to become a tenth-degree black belt in one year? These skills take diligence, practice, and mastery over time through appropriate skilled instruction.
Ice skating is the same. At first, it may be a challenge to stand up while wearing skates on the ice. After a month, you may be solidly skating forward. As you practice and master skills, more advanced skills will build upon them. There is always something to learn.
The real question is, how much time and energy are you willing to commit to learning this sport? A person who practices two to three hours per day will progress much more quickly than someone who attends a lesson once a week and doesn’t practice on their own between lessons.
Ideally, you will constantly be challenged while increasing your skill level.
How Quickly Can You Learn To Ice Skate?
The standard answer is that everyone is different, with various backgrounds — there is no set period for skating. However, some factors will help a person learn more quickly.
When a person starts skating with these previous attributes, they are likely to pick up ice skating as a skill more quickly:
- Level of fitness
- Participation in other “balance” related sports such as roller skating, skiing, skateboarding
- Dancers
- Age
- Willingness to learn and practice
- Coach or trainer
So, how hard is it to ice skate? There are so many variables involved with no single answer.
How To Learn Ice Skating Properly?
Are you interested in just picking up a pair of skates to be with your friends at the local pond on that rare day when the ice is solid and safe enough to skate on? Or are you interested in pursuing ice skating as a sport with some level of skill?
Your equipment is critical. Skates should fit appropriately to your foot. Purchase your skates from a provider that specializes in skate fittings. Can you imagine a ballet dancer with a toe box that is too long? Or a tap dancer who has to wear three pairs of socks in their shoes? Ice skates can’t be too big or too small.
Start by practicing to stand on your skates for a period and make that period longer each day. This will strengthen your ankles, balance, and core, so you don’t get hurt when you first start skating.
A coach or trainer is essential to learn to skate properly. The earlier, the better too. It is far easier to learn a skill properly the first time rather than to change a poor habit once it has been ingrained for some time. Ice Coach Online is an excellent solution. You can skate anywhere convenient for you and still have access to world-class coaching.
