 iSkateRiedell is a dynamic community of skaters just like you. If you share our passion for figure skating and count on Riedell to make the most of your moment on the ice, we'd love to hear your story. |
Everyone and everything around you will influence your skating. Taking trips to the theater, musicals, choir concerts, rock concerts and the ballet will help shape you into a more creative thinker and performer. Try new things and apply your life to your skating. It will make your skating feel more fresh, natural and alive.
-Sheila Thelen, President of Champion Cords & Executive Director of Grassroots to Champions
Distractions keep many athletes from reaching their potential. Focus on a goal to help keep you from being distracted in your training and at competitions. Goals give you energy. If you know what you want to achieve, then the hard work will be worth it.
-Michelle Leigh, Olympic/World Coach
Grassroots to Champions
If food tastes good, it probably is bad for you.
A: False. If a food doesn’t taste good to you, why are you eating it? It is important for all of us to eat foods that look good, smell good and taste good. That is what makes eating fun.
If you are trying to lose weight, you should eat a very low-fat diet.
A: False. If you are trying to lose body fat, you need to eat a little less overall, and burn off more calories by activity. Fat helps us to feel fuller for longer, so if you cut your fat intake down too much, you will be hungrier sooner and more likely to overeat.
To keep bones healthy, a calcium supplement is better than drinking a glass of milk.
A: False. To have the healthiest bones you can, your body needs enough protein, calcium and Vitamin D. Milk has all three. A calcium supplement may have Vitamin D added, but will never contain protein.
If you stop exercising, muscle turns to fat.
A: False. Muscle and fat are independent. If someone stops exercising, muscles may shrink a little. And if someone isn’t exercising but eating too much, the body may store fat. But muscle doesn’t turn into fat, and fat doesn’t turn into muscle!
It is not a good idea to eat after 6 p.m.
A: False. You body doesn’t know what time it is. The body keeps track of the amount of food we eat from the beginning of the day until we go to bed. There is nothing wrong with eating something in the evening as long as it is part of your entire meal plan for the day.
Sleep is important—especially before a competition. You’ll be more alert and refreshed, and your body will respond much better when well rested. If you are tired, it will show in your performance, so get some rest!
Another practice. You dash out the door for a late night at the rink. A home cooked meal? Wishful thinking. So you head to the drive thru for a quick bite because there is no time to eat at home. Sound like a familiar story? Well you’re not alone. Eating on the run has become a means of survival for busy families with even busier kids. The good news is that you can still eat healthy when you are away from home.
Fast Food Options
If you’ve run out of time and must eat at a fast food restaurant, many do offer healthy alternatives and provide meals that will help fuel the body for skating. With a little extra time and consideration, it is possible for busy families to eat healthy, enjoy meals and still make it to practice on time. And best of all, it’s one less thing to worry about when you get home!
What are your favorite healthy fast-food favorites?
Although many skaters concentrate on their legs, the upper body is also very important to skating a good program. Upper body strength promotes good spinning and jumping techniques and contributes to the overall power of a program. Find a few strengthening exercises that work for you. Lifting free weights is typically the most effective technique.
What are you favorite strengthening exercises?