Make sure you rent skates that fit. They should feel very snug but you should be able to wiggle your toes, just not too much and you don’t want your skates to hurt your feet or make them tingle. You’ll also want to be sure you lace them tight enough. You should not be able to roll your ankle. Your skates should fit like a glove.
You should also learn how to get up or at least get out of the way quickly. You don’t want other people to run in to you.
Practice letting your muscles relax and shake your leg around. You can also get your knees loose by crouching just a very small amount.
Though the way you balance is different, you might want to learn this basic motion on street rollerblades before learning it on the ice. It is easier and can help keep you from hurting yourself.
You can also do a T stop, which is done by turning one of your blades into a T shape with the other blade and angling it away from the direction you’re moving in. [3] X Research source
Practice this to get to a point where it looks graceful and natural. This will be the basic movement between all of the tricks and movements you will do when figure skating, so you want to do it well.
For the basics on how to move backwards, imagine reversing the motions of moving forward. With your weight on one foot, make a motion with your other foot like you’re drawing a lemon in the ice, pushing yourself backwards and you round the curve of the “lemon”.
Forward crossovers are used for making large turns and building up momentum for jumps. Essentially, you will make the same motions that you do to move forward, but your legs will cross each other, slowly turning you. You can also do this same move backwards, although you should start with the forward movement. The three turn is another method of turning, used for doing sharp turns and changes of direction. This is more complex but still very doable for a beginner.
A basic spin is done by spinning in a circle in one place. A camel spin is done by spinning with one leg and your upper body parallel to the ice.
A basic spin is done by spinning in a circle in one place. A camel spin is done by spinning with one leg and your upper body parallel to the ice.
Examples include the mohawk and the waltz three turn.
Your body will need lots of protein in order to work well while you skate. Try to eat protein that doesn’t have a lot of fat, like turkey, fish, or nuts, so that your body doesn’t feel weighed down.
With weekly practice lasting several hours, you can get good enough to do basic figure skating in about a year or two. Daily practice over many years is needed to reach a competition-level of skill.
