Advice for cool-down stretches? Especially for potential lower back pain?

Advice for cool-down stretches? Especially for potential lower back pain?

I've always done lots of stretching before skating (after I warm up with stroking), but never bothered much with stretching afterwards, which I think might have contributed to my back problems that stopped me skating 5 years ago. Now that my back is better, and I finally got myself back on ice again, I wonder if anyone has any advice on what kind of stretching to do after skating? I mean, I could just do my set of stretches both before and after. Would that do?

To be more specific, I get periodic lower back pain, which used to get intolerable after skating. I finally found a good physical therapist last year, who worked with me to get my spine untwisted (it was twisted in the clockwise position, similar to the jump landing position, doh!), got the muscles on the two sides of my spin more balanced (the left side was stronger and permanently more contracted, contributing to the twist), and my abs stronger (which took off stress from my naturally arching and flexible back). I've skated twice so far in the last week, and already feel some pain coming back in my back. :confused2:

Skating again has been an AMAZING feeling. I'd really hate to stop again because of back pain! So, anyone got stretching advice in general? And in particular for (twisted) lower back pain? Thanks!

Re: Advice for cool-down stretches? Especially for potential lower back pain?

Stretching after skating is more important (and safer) than stretching before, IMO. I don't know exactly where you are getting back pain after skating, but if it is in the same place(s) that your physical therapist treated you for, you should probably be doing the stretches he/she gave you after you skate. My back tightness/spasms are always on the left side of my lower back. After skating, I always stretch for at least half an hour and it helps a LOT. My stretches include hamstring stretches (which also stretch the lower back, especially if you sit with your back against the wall, then use your hands to push your back away from the wall so you bend forward at the hips instead of rounding your back) as well as lower back stretches like this and also twisting stretches like this and this

Re: Advice for cool-down stretches? Especially for potential lower back pain?

Try deep lunges because those muscles connect through the back. Also try shallow lunges with both knees at 90 degree angles and tip the pelvis forwards. Yoga moves downward dog and child's pose are good for the back as well. Other than that, it's good to do any stretches that your physiotherapist gave you.

Hi Feraina,

Stretching after is much more important after than before, and I think a serious warmup will help you much more than any stretching before.

Actually, stretching without a very good warmup can do more harm than good and may have contributed to some of your pains (from my own experience.) And I don't think stroking is a very good warm up. Off-ice jogging for 15 minutes (including skipping, grapevines and backwards jogging) followed by arm circles forward and backwards, and jumping jacks for a total of warmup of 20-30 minutes is more what I would consider a good skating warm up. I mean how much will you back, shoulders and arms warm up doing stroking. Technically a warm up should be all-body motions starting from slow and easy with limited range of movement - transitioning to more intense and wider range motions as your muscles and heart and lungs all start to work and get warm. If I skip this type of warm up I notice it right away in my skating skill and how I feel afterwards. I think if you try this you will see what I mean.

Stretching afterward is great in that it is easy and just feels great. The examples that vlaurend gave above are great for the lower back and feel great to do to -- so relaxing after hard skating.

I would also consider your skating also. As your symptoms show, skating can be an asymetrical sport for an athlete, but that can be helped with how you skate. Do you work on your bilateral skills? This is something judges look for and not just because it is hard or looks nice. Part of the goal is for skaters to have balanced bodies. Everyone usually has a weaker side and it is easy to get into the habit of avoiding doing certain moves on that side. But this just shows that instead we should be working twice as hard on that side not less! If you are doing double jumps or more, you should be able to practice singles the other direction. If you are only doing singles, you can try half flips, half lutzes, falling leaf, split jump, and mazurkas the other direction. Also, you should anyway be doing twizzles both ways and all your move too. Working on these will help balance your body and keep you more pain free -- except (speaking from experience again) your rear from falling while working on these things the "wrong" way. Ha ha.

I feel that skating is very tough on the body. I am much stronger in my core and overall than when I first started skating, but I realize that the more I skate the more I need to be careful how I take care of my body.

Like you say, skate amazing!

Mark

Just doing hamstring stretches, and deep bends forward, grabbing the back of your legs, even if your legs aren't straight but if your back is very bent foward. This helps me and I've been having a lot of lower back pain lately. I think it just comes with getting older =( ugh.

Almost right after I started the thread, my skating "comeback" was derailed but a terrible twist to my left ankle that took three months to recover. But since then, I've been skating more regularly. I actually find doing various core exercises given to me by my physical therapist seems to help. I recovered the skills I had before quitting 6 years ago fairly quickly (after a month or two), and since then I've been working on new skills, like finally getting that single axel, and working on 2T and 2S. I landed a slightly under-rotated 2S today after only the second attempt ever. It was soooooooo cool! It's so awesome to know that I can still pick up new skills at this relatively advanced age.

Good question. I am going to physio right now because of a car accident. I am working on my core. One of my problems is low back pain. Do you have a balance ball? Rest the ball against the wall and do squats against the ball (also put a smaller ball or pillow between your knees). Another good exercise is to lie on the ball with your arms out and thumbs up ( called Ts). Check out more expercises with a physio therapist. I hope this helps. It's good to take care of your back!!

Stretch those glutes, quads, and hip flexors for a healthy back! Do pigeon pose every day for 1-2 minutes, then transition into the Magic Quad Opener and Magic Pose Twist shown here. Rolling like a ball is also FANTASTIC for the back, especially if you end your last roll in plow pose. <- It takes a while to get your feet all the way to the floor in this pose (maybe start with a foam roller or something supporting your feet so you don't have to go all the way down), and you should never do it without warming up with the rolling like a ball exercise, but there is almost nothing better for stretching and decompressing your back.

For lower back pain, I've found hamstring and quad stretches to be important, depending on what is causing the pain. Most people have tight hamstrings, and thus need to stretch the area for a full range of motion. I'm unusual in that my quads tend to be too tight, and my hamstrings a bit too loose in comparison, and so I have to stretch the front of my body to keep my hip angle open. Otherwise I tend to get a tight arch in my lower back that makes good posture difficult. I do usually try to do stretches on both groups of opposing muscles- quads and hamstrings, abs/front of body (arching, opening through the chest, etc) and back, and so on. Child's pose and downward dog are good for extending the spine. A good counter might be to stand with feet hip width apart, then take your arms out to the sides and behind you. Bend at the elbows, and place closed fists on your lower back, then extend up through your spine, releasing the front of your body and arching slightly through the upper back while keeping your abs engaged. Your hips should be open through the front, but there shouldn't be any real arch in the lower back. Be careful as well not to crunch your neck backwards to create arch. Done properly, this stretch might show very little arch overall. Think of your sternum reaching for the ceiling. Cat/cow from yoga are good for the back, as well, and can be a good way to release tension in your back both before and after skating. Do you have an exercise ball- one of the big, inflatable ones? If so, you can use it to support yourself as you extend your back gently. Also, make sure you do lots of core work, and make sure you are using both sides in a balanced manner, not allowing your stronger side to pull you up farther than the weaker side. Also, using a pilates-style foam roller might help, but you'd probably want to get instruction on using it from a pilates studio. Good luck!