Getting back into skating after a hiatus

[AnnM]

Does anyone have any advice for getting back on the ice after a 6 month break?

Background info: I was working on Silver MITF last May. I found out I was pregnant in June & my doctor ended up restricting me from doing anything more than skating forward laps. So from June to October that's all I did & I've been entirely off the ice since October. I am itching to skate again, but at the same time I feel intimidated at the thought of it.

Any advice or encouragement would be appreciated!

[orbitz]

I don't think 6 months off is that long of a time away from skating. Of course you should take it easy for the first week or so, but I suspect you'll soon be back to practicing your silver MITF again. Your muscle memory will be there.

[Aussie Willy]

You will be fine. It will probably just feel really weird. Good luck with getting back into it.

[jp1andonly]

start off easy and build into it. I was off the ice for many years from 16 until 25 and i had permanent disaiblity from MS. It came back though a little scary at first. trust yourself and you will back on those moves before you know it

[Bunny Hop]

Having only recently gone back to skating after a longish break myself, I can say with some authority that you probably won't find it that bad. Just start with the things you feel comfortable doing, and build up from there. Some things might take a while, of course, which will be frustrating, but then you have to have something to work on!

[LilJen]

Congratulations, by the way!!

I've been off for a few times with fractures (ugh) and my way of getting back into things was to go back to all my basic 4 and earlier moves and dance test patterns, among other things. Just basics. Along with plenty of really good high-quality stroking to build strength and reinforce good habits.

[jgowee]

Lets see...
I started skating when I was 9 years old. I skated for about a year and a half and had to quit because of my mom's financial situation.

I started up again when I was 20. after 10 years of not skating, it only took me 3 or 4 months to get back to where I'd left off when I was 10. I quit again after 6 months because of the costs and other stuff going on in my life.

I am 24 now. I got back on the ice on Wednesday for the first time in almost 3 years. It took me about 15 minutes before I was doing all my edges, spins and jumps and landed most of them. I almost landed my axel, too. Even though I've barely worked on this jump in the past.

I think once you learn to figure skate and become at least fairly good at it, your body never forgets. It's like getting back on a bike after a long time of not riding. Like others have said, muscle memory will kick in. You'll be fine. At worst you will be a little rusty for a week or two, but it's only been 6 months for you. That isn't long at all.

[Skittl1321]

Does anyone have any advice for getting back on the ice after a 6 month break?

I just took a 6 month break due to a hip injury- I was also working on silver moves, and am pre-bronze in freeskate. I did not find the return to the ice to be that bad, but I've found I now get dizzy in spins, something that never happened before.

Expect to be a little set back, but I think you'll regain your skills in not too long of a time. Sadly, I've found that silver moves might be above my reach- I can no longer due spirals due to the hip But I've been back for less than a month and did a solo in the club show yesterday. My jumps are tiny, but in group freestyle lessons with the kids, I'm doing them with more attack then ever (just can't transfer that attack to a program!)

I wouldn't have too ambitious of a training plan to start with, maybe go through your bronze moves a few times before really starting back up with silver... also, I wouldn't expect to be able to regain the skills as quickly as someone who used to skate at a high level, and your balance may be different because of the pregnancy- but really, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Just get those skates laced up again!


(I see this was posted awhile ago- did you get back out there yet?)

[ElinorD]

I recently started back after a year and a half break. Before that, I was off for 10 years. The first time, things came back easily, but this time, I'm struggling. I finally realized that I need to skate regularly and get instruction regularly. I have to accept that I'm older, and things changed, so I'm not afraid to ask for help! It's frustrating though. Those "I can't!" voices get louder as I get older...

[sk8er1964]

Heh. Got you all beat.

I quit skating when I was 15. I started again when I was 38.

I had no problem getting all my singles back, except for the axel gave (and still does give) me fits at times. Sadly, no doubles have come back with any consistency. Age, childbirth and size are my biggest problems - both for jumps and spins.

My advice to people coming back is to take it easy at first - especially if you are older. It is so easy to get yourself injured. Listen to your body.

Most important, have fun! This is an awesome sport for returning skaters. There's a lot of opportunities (at least in the US) to be competitive in a wide variety of disciplines, or to take a wide range of tests.