Skating At Work

Now that my knee is much improved I've started 'skating at work' again. Okay, I'm not actually 'skating', I'm squeezing some moments of off-Ice training.

a. Spirals practice in the handicapped stall in the bathroom

b. Getting to work 30 minutes before my work day begins to warm up my legs on the stationary bike, then do my first round of therapeutic stretching for the day.

c. Joining two other women at lunch for a 30 minute exercise DVD

d. Doing one foot balancing in the elevator as it goes between floors. Holding that balance while the elevator jolts to a stop takes some skill.

If you decide to do the elevator routine, just remember there's probably a camera in there. Don't do any spirals in a skirt.

Off Ice Training

I have a personal trainer. I tried aerobics and weight group classes for a long time, but, hey, I'm an exercise slacker. Having the eye of a mahogany haired trainer-goddess on me, keeps me on the straight and narrow. We've been working together for a few years.

She varies my routines and designs programs for me I would never have a chance to do in a group class. For example, lifting weights while doing knee bends on a bosu ball. Making me lift weights I'd never lift myself. I was happy with 10 lb dumbbells, she's got me up to 15 lb dumbbells. It took nearly a year to get me to that weight but I'm now looking at a future with 20 lb dumbbells.

Lots of ab work, and planks (I can even do the planks with side dips now), balance work on the bosu, and to shake it up sometimes work with the resistance band. I love it all.

Am I limited? Yes. At 60 years old the knees aren't what they used to be so lunges are limited. And after a wrist injury (off ice) I'll probably never do push ups again. But a good personal trainer works around those limitations and mine finds exercises  that exercises all my muscles despite my limitations.

Is off-ice weight training worth it? Absolutely.  If you aren't disciplined,  getting a personal trainer, even for a once a week session might be enough to keep you in focus and give you new exercises.  YMCA's and Jazzercise studios sometimes have personal trainers available (In Jazzercise it's call Personal Touch). If you want to try it, a few sessions might not be too expensive, and unlike a fancy gym, you probably won't incure a long term contract

As you get older lifting weights is worth it. Here's a picture of my hero. A 91 year old weight lifter, not Photoshopped.

Charles Eugster http://www.charleseugster.net/

 If he can do it at 90+. I can do it at 60.

So can you.

Back Edges and Death

So, I signed up for an edge class at a new rink. Coincidentally, a coach I know at the new rink asked me to skate as Death in the Spring Ice Show.

Yes. Death.

Technically, the short cute version of Death.

I do have an interesting skating life don't I? How many readers have skated as Death? Anyone? Anyone?

As a friend of mine once  told me, the worst transition she ever saw while grading college papers was "Speaking of dolphins as we were." So, here goes: "Speaking of Back Edges as we were."

I've decided part of my problem in back edges is not only my leg position, hunching, and the push off, it's that I really fell uncomfortable holding the position. This rather came to me today as I was tramping around the building where I work and I thought, "These high heels are the same height as my skating boots. I wonder what I can do with that?"

I tried it out in a spare moment of work privacy (the handicapped stall in the ladies room) and yes I can get into a really good back edge position with my body. Since I'm not worried about falling backwards, I have the luxury of working on getting my weight over the right part of the foot while at the same time getting head, knees, ankles, arms and anything I left out into the correct position.

As a shaping and positioning exercise, I think it has promise. I'll try it for a few minutes a day for a couple of weeks and let you know if it makes any difference.