What type of cardio should I do as a figure skater?

Hey everyone!👋

Done with a little vacation in Estonia and ready to tackle this next topic.

Cardio for figure skating

A topic that you really can’t find any information on, but oh so vital to talk about. And the reason why, is that cardio is so important for your figure skating form. Cardio helps you through the programs, but more importantly having a good form is good for your health. With aerobic or cardio exercises, your muscles need more blood and oxygen than when they’re at rest. This causes your heart and lungs to work harder, which, over time, can make these parts of your body stronger. And, as your heart and lungs become stronger, the flow of blood and oxygen in your body will also improve. So after my long career I’m here to break down which cardio to choose to do and why.

Different cardio options that are good for figure skating

Running, cycling, elliptical, swimming – these are the most obvious options, but also the healthiest for figure skaters and I’m about to explain why. First and foremost you need to figure out where you’re standing with your cardio shape. Do you need to really pick up the pace or are you in a place where you want to maintain your situation or are you recovering from an injury so you have to pick up slowly and build from that?

Is running the right cardio for you?

Running is a very obvious answer, but running is not for everyone. Honestly I used to run like crazy back in the day and now my relationship is very love-hate with running. And because I’m not doing high-level sports I’m not looking to have crazy good cardio form. So today I all sorts of different cardio. Nonetheless running is a great option, whether you do long distance, short distance or if you mix fast with slow together. That’s something I actually really recommend. I’ve spoken about doing the fast slow in my other blog post. So running should definitely be your first choice, but hold on. You should not run every day and you should not run on days when you jump a lot. Running is heavy on the knees and therefore you shouldn’t be running when you’ve had problems with your knees. And speaking of problems with the knees, they are most common in pre-teens when kids start growing. Therefore I definitely don’t recommend running during the time of growth spurt. So what to do instead?

What to do instead?

For those who really don’t like running or have experienced pain in the knees or jump a lot. Opt for cycling or elliptical. Elliptical is my personal favourite. Your knees don’t get too much force on them, your whole body is working and you get a great workout. 30 minutes a day, couple times a week. This will build up your cardio and will keep you in shape. Another great thing about cycling is that you’ll be able to do it outside as well. Elliptical not so much, but you can catchup on your Netflix show as well, while working out.

Slow and healthy build up

Are you recovering from an injury? Tough and stressful training period behind you? Back from a difficult skating camp? Or just want a way to build up stamina, but also be kind to yourself? Then fast paced walking or swimming is the right choice for you and for anybody really. Swimming once a week is so good for your health and stamina and it works muscles in a way that makes them lean and not bulky. It’s also a great way to recover your tired muscles and really not put any pressure on your body. Fast paced walking won’t build up your stamina the way running does, obviously. But it keeps you in tone and it can be a way of relaxation for your mind while working out your body.

I think I should be talking about recovery as well, so I’ll leave that for next time. So grab your favourite podcast and go out for a little cardio! I already did my 6km walk this morning 😊