Ice skating is possibly the most fun you can have while getting fit, and there's no better time to try it than the winter, which sees the return of outdoor seasonal ice rinks. Hugely popular, many have spectacular historic settings, with Christmas trees, twinkling lights and mulled wine all adding to the festive feeling. It's the perfect place to meet with some friends and burn off some calories, while having an absolute scream.
Getting started
Ice skating is considered a low-impact sport (until you get to the jumping level), but do check with your GP first if you suffer from osteoporosis, or have problems with your balance.
How to find your closest rink
To find your nearest seasonal rink, check out: www.thisistheatre.com/iceskating, but there are also over 60 permanent ice rinks in the UK. To find your nearest permanent rink, go to: www.iceskating.org.uk.
Without an instructor
Prepare to be surprised by the strangeness of trying to keep your balance on steel blades while moving across slippery ice. The first part of your session may involve clinging to the side of the ice rink as you try to inch your way around. Then come your first brave, but awkward steps, and as your confidence increases you'll soon be making slow laps around the rink. But go easy – have you figured out how to stop yet?
Falling over is almost inevitable in the early stages, so learn how to do it safely. Try to fall forwards, or onto your side/hips, and watch your fingers on the ice - bring your hands towards your body as soon as you can. You'll probably be laughing your head off, and certainly don't be embarrassed – there's not a single person there who hasn't fallen over at some point. Within seconds, you'll probably have one or two watchful stewards at your side, helping you up.
With an instructor
What you get with an instructor, which you can't easily teach yourself, is control skills. Really simple things like learning how to stop whenever you want, instead of having to collide deliberately with the rink barrier! Sessions can last from only 15 minutes, which allows you to go off and practice what you've been taught, then come back to learn more. With expert guidance, after a surprisingly short amount of tuition – perhaps just a couple of sessions plus practice - you can expect to start and stop competently and even begin to turn around and skate backwards! This steep learning curve is often achieved, says instructor Andrew Fyles (of The Guildford Spectrum Rink), by getting the trainee to focus on the more difficult moves, so everything else seems easy. Sneaky, but effective.
Equipment
It's all about the boots. Casual skaters hire their boots at the rink, and if you eventually want to buy some, expect to part with £80-£150 for a decent pair. Whether you're hiring or buying, fit is really important. For sufficient ankle support and overall control, your boots should fit quite snugly – not so tight it hurts, but you may need to come down at least half a size from your regular shoe size. It's a popular misconception that wearing extra-thick socks will stop you getting blisters, but it's actually loose-fitting boots that cause them, so just wear normal socks with correctly fitted boots. Clothing should be non-restrictive. Wear layers, as you'll get quite warm. Don't forget gloves!
Fitness benefits
Regular ice skating will give you great legs and a shapely derrière – really toning up the inner-thigh adductors, hamstrings and glutes, plus you'll also see improvements in your stomach and back. Beginners and slow skaters can expect to burn 350 calories per hour, but once you're zipping around the rink, that can rise to between 450-550 per hour!
So cool it's hot
Ice skating continues to grow in popularity, with 2.5 million regular UK rink visitors. And when British Olympic ice-dancing gold medallists Torville and Dean bring their Celebrity Ice Dance series (Stars On Thin Ice) to the nation's TV screens in the New Year, it's due another huge popularity surge. So if you want to impress your friends and be ahead with the latest fitness craze, better get your skates on!
Want to keep with the winter fitness theme? Why not give skiing and snowboarding a try.
