Meat, is a poor choice of protein because it will often contain hormones. It is more difficult for your body to digest meat. Many times, after consuming some meats, the body gets sluggish, as a result you feel lethargic. Your body needs a balanced diet, including carbohydrates and good fats. Too much meat will lessen your energy. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and complex carbohydrates. Protein from meat is mostly fatty protein and if it is not used it is stored as fat. Vegetable protein... Read Full Story

A lot of skating may build and tone your muscles, however it will be a slow and difficult process if you don't do off ice training. Ballet, Pilates, Yoga and strength training are crucial when it comes to off ice training, this is what truly makes a difference in figure skating. Just like figure skating, you’d be amazed to find out how much muscle is involved when it comes to Ballet, Pilates and Yoga. This is a standard workout if you are new to figure skating and would like to improve... Read Full Story

The reason core strength and leg strength are important for any sport, specifically skating, is because most movements and balance depend on your leg muscles and your core strength. If your core and your leg muscles are weak, it becomes extremely difficult to achieve any skating skills. Good balance not only keeps you steady on your feet, but it helps make your movements powerful. Having a strong core and good leg strength mean better performance in different sports. En route to a strong... Read Full Story

Nerves are a great thing! It's good to be nervous prior to a performance. It shows that you care. Once you're on the ice however, the nerves will melt away. Take deep breaths to calm yourself down. Many of the elite skaters, for instance Sasha Cohen and others, take deep breaths prior to their program. Breathing is important Don’t allow your nerves to take over your performance. You can often tell when someone is nervous if they are making small useless movements such as tapping their... Read Full Story

The Axel is a jump in figure skating, named after the Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen (1855-1938) who was the first to perform this feat in 1882. A single Axel consists of 1 and a half rotations in the air. For a jump with counterclockwise rotation, it has a takeoff from the left forward outside edge and a landing on the right back outside edge; this can be reversed for a clockwise jump. The Axel can also be done as a double jump with two and a half rotations, or as a triple with three and a... Read Full Story

The biggest mistake new skaters make on the back outside edges is in trying to get in that extra push they think is necessary before lifting the free foot. It is a very bad habit. Do some lemons or stroking to get up speed, then put your feet together, bend your knees, shift your weight to one foot and lift the free leg off the ice. The foot will come up along with the knee. Do not try to stroke or to swizzle. Gliding backwards and lifting one foot is generally done with the toes pointed... Read Full Story

Figure skating accidents, while infrequent, are among the most memorable. Figure Skating can be potentially dangerous, just like anything else. Injuries can happen to the feet, ankles, heels, knees, shins, quads, back, hips, groin area, shoulders, arms, wrists, and head, basically anywhere. Common injuries include bruises, cuts, sprains, strains, muscle tears, tendinitis, joint injuries, sometimes fractures or even a concussion. Some ways to prevent injuries are as follows: *Warm up... Read Full Story

The body’s main source of energy is Carbohydrates. When you do any type of physical or mental activity, your body is using carbohydrates. Carbohydrate is synonymous to fuel. When you take out the carbohydrates from your diet, you become a sluggish, tired, lethargic soul. However, if you don’t use that energy, it'll be stored as fat. A high protein low-carb diet is extremely dangerous over a period of time. Our body is designed to eat fruits, grains, vegetables and not just flesh. The body... Read Full Story

Unfortunately the reason that you are gaining weight in your stomach area may be due to genetics. It happens to all of us but in different ways. The only way to truly lose the fat is to work it off. Weight training is an excellent way to not only speed up your metabolism which in turn burns fat, but target the areas that aren't naturally worked on as well. Regardless of doing countless abs exercises the reason the six-pack abs remains invisible is due to excess layer of fat covering the... Read Full Story

Pilates is made up of great exercises that consist of stretching, and tightening up and toning the core muscles, or your "powerhouse" . With a healthy regime, and adding cardio exercise, you can lose weight; however, The focus of pilates is to strengthen your core. Pilates benefits people of all ages, regardless of aptitudes and fitness levels. While Pilates help strengthen your core, it helps to condition the overall body with low-impact approach. As in anything you do in life, it... Read Full Story