# Warm-Up and Rink Clothes · Figure Skating Level 1: Beginner

Figure Skating · Level 1: Beginner · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/figure-skating/level-1/warm-up-and-rink-clothes/)

Warm-Up and Rink Clothes in Figure Skating (Level 1: Beginner) on Insporta: 30 sourced facts behind 3 tests. Covers: warming up and cooling down.

Warming up and cooling down, clothes for the rink and a coach's checklist.

## Test 1: Warming up and cooling down

- The warm-up may last up to 25 minutes: about 5 to heat the muscles, 10 of stretching and 10 of sport-specific drills. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.1: The Warm-Up)
- The aerobic part only circulates the blood and warms the muscles, so they are ready to stretch. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.1: The Warm-Up)
- The run builds up slowly but never reaches even 50 percent of maximum effort. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.1: The Warm-Up)
- Hold an easy stretch 15 to 30 seconds until the pull lessens, then move a little further and hold 15 seconds more. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.1: Stretching)
- Exhale while leaning into the stretch and keep breathing calmly while it is held. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.1: Stretching)
- The off-ice warm-up is done before the skates go on, so all the ice time goes to skating. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.1: Sample Warm-Up)
- Stopping suddenly can let blood pool and cause cramps; a cool-down lowers temperature and heart rate gradually. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.3: The Cool-Down)
- Warm the muscles with easy aerobic work, then stretch, then do drills that prepare the skating itself. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.1: The Warm-Up)
- An easy stretch is held until it eases, taken a little further and held again; each stretch is repeated 4 to 5 times a side. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.1: Stretching)
- A runs 5, 10 and 10 minutes in the right order. B starts with stretching, C cuts the stretching to 2 minutes, D leaves the drills out. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.1: The Warm-Up)

## Test 2: Clothes for the rink

- Long jeans or denim shorts limit how a skater can move, so they are not proper attire for any event. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 1.4: Figure Skating Attire)
- A long-sleeve shirt, fitted so the arms move freely, is comfortable and warm; it should be tucked into the trousers. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 1.4: Shirts and Sweaters)
- Sweaters must not be so bulky that they look sloppy and get in the way of precise movements, and should not have hoods. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 1.4: Shirts and Sweaters)
- Warm-up suits keep a skater warm before and after, but their weight and bulk get in the way while skating. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 1.4: Warm-Up Suits)
- Hair should be kept away from the face, and bobby pins are best avoided in case they fall on the ice. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 1.4: Hair)
- A helmet is recommended for beginners and for skaters who lack enough muscular control. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 1.4: Helmets)
- Well-fitted gloves or mittens are recommended for recreational skating and are useful for warming up. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 1.4: Gloves)
- The suit keeps the skater warm through the off-ice exercises; it comes off before lacing up, being too bulky to skate in. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 1.4 and 3.1)
- Start relaxed with warm muscles, work systematically from the top of the body down, and go from general to specific stretches. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.1: Stretching Quick Reference)
- C gives 5 minutes to each part, the guide's minimum. A is too short in both, B leaves out the stretching, D the easy skating. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.3: The Cool-Down)

## Test 3: A coach's checklist

- Coaches should have a back-up copy of the skater's music in case the first one fails. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 2.4: Protocol & Etiquette)
- Coaches check costumes before the skater competes, taking care that undergarments are not visible. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 2.4: Protocol & Etiquette)
- Skaters go onto the practice ice only when assigned, after checking with the ice monitor. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 2.4: Protocol & Etiquette)
- Before getting on the ice at a competition, athletes check with the ice monitor. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 2.4: Protocol & Etiquette)
- Coaches should suggest daily warm-up and conditioning exercises and explain the benefits of good habits. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.2: On-Ice Skating Drills)
- The on-ice warm-up builds from walking on skates to skating round and practising each skill already learned. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.2: Skating Warm-Up)
- The cool-down is at least 5 minutes of easy jogging or skating and 5 minutes of light stretching. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.3: The Cool-Down)
- Walking on skates comes first, then walk-skate intervals and laps, and last a run through every skill learned so far. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.2: Skating Warm-Up)
- The cool-down starts with easy skating; the light stretching is done off the ice, once the skates are off. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.3: The Cool-Down)
- B holds about 20 seconds, then 15 more a little deeper. A is too short, C holds a full minute in one go, D bounces in short jerks. (Source: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), 3.1: Stretching)

Sources: Special Olympics Figure Skating Coaching Guide (2021), Riedell's blade, fitting and care guides, a skate technician's blade-care advice, a rink's session rules and Olympedia; original questions authored, nothing reproduced. Numbered ISU rules belong to the rules categories.

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