Now that winter is approaching, ice skating in an enjoyable activity to engage in with family and friends. It is easy to sustain an injury to the ankle or knee when ice skating because of the amount of coordination and balance required. According to the United States Figure Skating Association, overuse injuries are the most common injuries with ice skating.
Some tips to take into account to prevent injuries are as follows:
1.) Make sure that your shoes are properly fitted. You can ask an employee to help determine the proper size and how they should feel when on
2.) You want to make sure that you dress appropriately for the environment, whether the ice rink is within a building or outside
3.) It is a good idea to warm up with some stretches that way you decrease the risk of straining a muscle or spraining a ligament. Stretching is important to do prior to any sport or activity
4.) Strengthening the hip, knee, and ankle will help to maintain some stability. Ankles that are very strong will help prevent injuries because you will have more control when skating.
5.) Balance exercises are good to incorporate into your exercise routines if you enjoy ice skating because this is a sport that requires a lot of balance
6.) If you are not an individual who ice skates a lot, possibly wearing elbow pads and knee pads will help decrease any soft tissue injuries
7.) To prevent injuries when falling, try not to tense up when falling. If you fall
forward keep your chin up, or if you fall backward keep your chin down towards
your chest. Try to land on your butt when your fall and try not to put your
wrist out first
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The expertise of a physical therapist can help you discover the cause of any musculoskeletal problems and correct it so that you can look forward to pain free skating.
References:
http://www.usfsa.org/shell.asp?sid=34700
http://iceskatingresources.org/FigureSkatingInjuries.pdf
