SPINAL TWIST FOR FIGURE SKATERS

This is one of the most important types of mobility .for figure skaters, and the primary motion necessary to do difficult turns. I shifted in the video from golf to figure skating when I suggested keeping hips immobile. Good golfers rotate hips, spine, and shoulders. Notice that in the on-ice version of this exercise on slippery ice, the shoulders do not move much. The feet and hips do. Neither is actually moving relative to the body, but they are moving in space.

[@Yesenia694]

Gary que espectaculares movimientos tienes felicidades ❤

[@katerinahejlova5479]

Good idea, thank you, Gary! I will include this spinal twist & Russian stroking in my warm up. They open 3rd June in my home ice rink - I cannot wait 😊❤

[@GaryBeacom-FigureSkater]

All the best with that, Katerina!

[@johnharvey7913]

Very similar to the movements in skiing, where upper and lower body can move independently, especially on quick turns as in slalom and moguls. Just one of the many movements skater/skier-people do that solid-ground people typically don't. Can certainly be practiced at home, and stretches the muscles all over. Fun to do. Gary, pro photographer here, I notice that you have stepped up your photography and audio. Really easy to see on a big monitor, and listening over headphones. A lot of subtleties get lost on a small phone screen, which is a poor relation to actual reality. One possible reason why young skaters might be moving differently, or just less, is they are staring at these screens all day. Pretty soon we’ll have to import movement, and physical sensation, back into our lives. Look at that new Apple Pencil for the new iPad, it buzzes with “haptic feedback” to make it feel more like a…pencil. But much more Xpen$ive. Luckily, skaters can already draw circles on the ice with their skates, which give them lots of feedback, including falling! Thank you and your student for giving us another skating lesson.

[@GaryBeacom-FigureSkater]

Thank you very much for feedback and thoughts, John. Moguls work better with spinal twist and lean from hips down as well, so that the core is quite stable, right?