How to improve flexibility

[Helios]

I'm not a figure skater, but I do skate. Can anybody tell me how to improve flexibility and is there any way to do a split. And what does figures mean in figure skating???

[icesk8r1]

<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :) --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON STOP--> The way I help myself become more flexible is also relaxing to me. After I take a shower, I go to my "skating area" in my basement. I listen to music and do a lot of different stretches. Every little stretch helps! Then I get on my mom's leg pusher thingie<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :) --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON STOP--> and do these for about 15 minutes. It really helps!

[Helios]

i think your method would help. i shall try it out from now on.

[edgescutie]

Another thing to do is to just keep on practicing your splits. youll get closer and closer and eventually youll get it!!!

[icesk8r1]

You're perfectly welcome! <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :) --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON STOP--> Now i need to get stretching for my exhibition dilemma <read lesson/practices 4/?/00-4/9/00

[Helios]

good luck to your exhibitions.<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :) --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON STOP--> <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :) --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON STOP--> <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :) --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON STOP-->
all the best

[sara070]

Good luck too. BTW, what is your mom's leg stretcher thingy?

[icesk8r1]

LOL it's where you lie down and put your legs on a raised metal place and you push it up and down
really quite simple!

[tara637]

You should practice every night for 15-20 min. and then try balancing yourself.I used to take ballet and that really helped me improve my flexability.

[oboe04]

If you're working on your splits, keep trying! and don't worry about how far ownyou go, focus on keeping your legs straight. A dancer friend of mine told me that and it helped mine look better. Also, if you're working on stradle flexibility, try this: lay on the floor on your back with your butt up against the wall, then lower your legs along the wall. Relax, and just lay there. Gravity will work. (If you want to, when you've been there for a while bring your legs up back tgether slowly.)

[Victoriacai]

I can do full splits. My advise would be go as low as you can to feel streching and hold for a min.

[TheGr8Sk8er]

Well, I don't know much about stretching, even though I do practice it, but the figure in figure skating was something that you had to do in a competition, like a short program. It wasn't a program, it was just really good control of your edeges. You just make paterns on the ice and trace them.

[Jskate]

For flexibility, I've found yoga to be VERY helpful.

Many of the "poses" are akin to what you'll find in figure skating. A few weeks after starting yoga there was a VAST improvement on my spirals. (I could lift my left leg very high but the right one sucked, it has helped a lot.)

I also learned that for the beautiful spread eagles, the turnout has to come from the hips, NOT the knees, yoga poses got me to that point. I am now do really nice ina bauers too.

Yoga also improves stamina so I am now able to hold positions a lot longer which frees up the arm movements.

[candygirl559]

I once took gymnastics and I was able to improve my flexibility, strengthen my muscles, and improve my balance. Hi, I'm a huge Michelle Kwan fan but I do like other skaters as well.

[AshBugg44]

Thanks for the tips on flexibility. I'm a skater, and I'm not very flexible, which isn't a good thing! :lol

[candygirl559]

I used to take gymnastics a few years ago and that helped with my flexibility. I can still do the splits all the way down but I can't do a backbend anymore. I also heard that pilates improves your flexibility. I'm going to receive my books about pilates and skating in a few days from amazon.com. I hope I can stay disciplined and stick with the training.