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This week's tip:
Two Stretches for Skaters
The quad stretch and lunge
Randy Bowman stretching before a race.
(photo: Darlene Prois)
By Kim Perkins
I'm not sure why this is but most skaters appear to like stretching about as much as they like potholes.
That's too bad because stretching improves our flexibility, and improved flexibility cuts our risk of injuries by limbering up our bones and muscles, and it makes it easier for us to assume the low skating position, which is key to good technique.
There are hundreds of great stretches out there. But here are two, both static stretches, that I have found to be especially helpful for skaters:
1) Quad stretch
Standing up, raise your right foot back behind your leg. Grab it with your right hand and pull it toward your bottom. Hold for 30-60 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
2) Lunge
Kneel on your right knee. Place your left foot in front of you with your knee bent. For stability, place your left hand on your left knee.
With your back straight (up and down) and your abdominal muscles tight, lean forward, shifting more weight to your left leg.
Keep your torso aligned straight ahead (no twisting).
You'll feel a stretch in the front of the hip and thigh of your right leg. Hold the stretch for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Don't push either of these stretches. Elongate only to the point where you feel the stretch. Then hold. After 30 seconds or so you will feel everything lengthen on its own.
And never stretch cold. Start with a few minutes of running to get your blood flowing. Or better yet, save your stretching until you're done skating.
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Kim Perkins didn't start skating competitively until her mid-thirties. But what she lacked in experience, she made up for with hard work, smarts and a big dose of raw athletic talent. During her brief racing career, she won the Athens to Atlanta Road Skate three times and earned victories in the Cactus Classic (2003), Disney Inline Marathon (2004) and Texas Road Rash (2004). Since retiring from competition, she has been studying Evaluation and applied research methods at Claremont Graduate University in Southern California.
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