Exercises to take care of back/hips?

Miss Ice · Jan 8, 2015

I was recently looking for good off-ice exercises and came upon this article, where I read the following:

Laybacks can cause problems with the back due to tight hip flexor....

If a skater has a tight psoas (hip flexor) muscle, the hips will have difficulty shifting forward, and greater compression is transferred to the lower spine. The psoas attaches anteriorly to the lower joints of the spine, and to the anterior pelvis, and will restrict mobility in these areas if tight. Therefore, there is a direct relationship between psoas tightness and back problems.

and sitspin due to hamstring...

If the hamstring muscle is tight, it restricts the amount the hip can flex forward, and causes the spine to flex forward to its maximum range. This can put a strain on both the muscles and joints in the lower spine, as there is added stress placed on them due to the lack of hamstring flexibility.

I was wondering if there were any exercises you guys do to take care of these muscles / your back off ice, especially if you are often doing things like laybacks and sitspin?

That article also talks about the Biellmann like it is pretty dangerous for the back, and I am kind of scared of learning it now. :think:

IcyEdges · Jan 8, 2015

Miss Ice said:
I was recently looking for good off-ice exercises and came upon this article, where I read the following:

Laybacks can cause problems with the back due to tight hip flexor....

and sitspin due to hamstring...

I was wondering if there were any exercises you guys do to take care of these muscles / your back off ice, especially if you are often doing things like laybacks and sitspin?

That article also talks about the Biellmann like it is pretty dangerous for the back, and I am kind of scared of learning it now. :think:

I love my foam roller. If you don't have one, you may think of getting one. There are many exercises and stretches that you can do with it to deal with these issues. Also, do you do pilates? Those help stretch out these and other muscles, joints etc for skating.
Sadly, I want to say it's almost inevitable that you will have hip flexor/back issues if you are a skater. I do and I know many, many others that do.
Best of luck!

Miss Ice · Jan 8, 2015

IcyEdges said:
I love my foam roller. If you don't have one, you may think of getting one. There are many exercises and stretches that you can do with it to deal with these issues. Also, do you do pilates? Those help stretch out these and other muscles, joints etc for skating.
Sadly, I want to say it's almost inevitable that you will have hip flexor/back issues if you are a skater. I do and I know many, many others that do.
Best of luck!

Thanks for the advice on the foam roller. I just looked it up, I'd have no idea how to use it, haha. I found this though http://www.customstrength.com/foamrollguide.pdf , I'll look into it!
Yep, I do some standard pilates exercises. Are there any particular ones you find useful for back/hips?

So I did the psoas test shown here in the picture C, and my leg isn't completely flat like on the top drawing, there is some space.

Are there also any good exercises for this?

IcyEdges · Jan 8, 2015

Miss Ice said:
Thanks for the advice on the foam roller. I just looked it up, I'd have no idea how to use it, haha. I found this though http://www.customstrength.com/foamrollguide.pdf , I'll look into it!
Yep, I do some standard pilates exercises. Are there any particular ones you find useful for back/hips?

So I did the psoas test shown here in the picture C, and my leg isn't completely flat like on the top drawing, there is some space.

Are there also any good exercises for this?

Check your PM.

rsk8d · Jan 8, 2015

Thank you for posting Sk8strong's article!

pooh-beanie · Jan 8, 2015

biellmanns require a good bit of both leg/ hip flexibility as well as back flexibility. i have an oversplit on my left side, but my back isn't too flexible, so my biellmann isn't anything special. be careful- remember to stretch first

also, in general, remember to keep good posture at all times (helps w back-> hips)

Tavi... · Jan 9, 2015

This is the stretch my PT gave me for my psoas:

http://www.exrx.net/Stretches/HipFlexors/Lunge.html

I hold for 1 minute using a timer. You perform twice on each leg for a total of 2 minutes per side. Perform routine twice daily.

Here is a little more info:

http://www.catalystsportstherapy.com/stretching-guides/psoas-stretches.html

If you google psoas stretch lunge you will find several images with better positioning and showing variations as well as articles describing correct form.

I found the following PDF on the USFS site. While not limited to hips/back, it's got lots of useful exercises including a sequence for Biellmann.

https://www.usfigureskating.org/content/2008 Yoga Conditioning for Figure Skaters.pdf

Hope these help a little.

concorde · Jan 11, 2015

For back issues, you may also want to consider seeing a chiropractor if you are doing a lot of jumping. Ice skating jumps do "wonders" for throwing off your back alignment which can lead to a lot of other problems.

Miss Ice · Jan 11, 2015

papagena said:
This is the stretch my PT gave me for my psoas:

http://www.exrx.net/Stretches/HipFlexors/Lunge.html

I hold for 1 minute using a timer. You perform twice on each leg for a total of 2 minutes per side. Perform routine twice daily.

Here is a little more info:

http://www.catalystsportstherapy.com/stretching-guides/psoas-stretches.html

If you google psoas stretch lunge you will find several images with better positioning and showing variations as well as articles describing correct form.

I found the following PDF on the USFS site. While not limited to hips/back, it's got lots of useful exercises including a sequence for Biellmann.

https://www.usfigureskating.org/content/2008 Yoga Conditioning for Figure Skaters.pdf

Hope these help a little.

Thanks!

concorde said:
Ice skating jumps do "wonders" for throwing off your back alignment which can lead to a lot of other problems.

The most difficult jumps I do consistently are only axel and double toeloop, so that should not be too bad.

Shani · Jan 12, 2015

If you have back issues you should not consider training a Bielman, and any competent coach would not allow you to do so.

Shani · Jan 12, 2015

To skate a 4 minute program requires all the fitness skills of a marathon. off ice training is just as important as on. You might not be going to the Olympics but you need to have strength in your back muscles to do a layback properly so you need to develop the strength to avoid injury as an amateur athlete.

Shani · Jan 12, 2015

As a sit spin exercise you should have two dining chairs on either side of you, put a hand on each, and point one toe out in front and crouch down to a sit spin position where the elevated leg and pointed toe are straight/flat. Count to 30 and raise. That is lift to a standing position on supporting leg. Repeat 5 times.
It will take a while to build this strength. Several months, but while you are learning the correct edge technique with your coach to enter and exit the spin your endurance will build and it will get a lot easier. Yoga cat stretches should help your layback.
If your coach didn't help you with this you might research coaches... and how to select one

Shani · Jan 12, 2015

As I look at my post above the correct sit spin position I am referring to on the supporting leg is a 90 degree angle position.

concorde · Jan 12, 2015

Miss Ice said:
The most difficult jumps I do consistently are only axel and double toeloop, so that should not be too bad.

It usually the bad landings that throw off your back's alignment.
Ice skating jumps in general can compress your back which can in turn cause muscle spasms.

It should be no big surprise that most ice skaters develop back problems.

Shani · Jan 12, 2015

This is true. My daughters coach told me that the reason a jump rope is so important to practice just properly taking off and landing is that when the foot and ankle are in the boot they are in a restrained position. The take off and landing speed of the skater on the ice triples the body mass that lands, consequently the skater needs to have good jump technique or a 70 lb skater will have a 210lb landing capacity. because of landing force.

Exercises to take care of back/hips?

Miss Ice

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IcyEdges

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Miss Ice

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IcyEdges

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rsk8d

pooh-beanie

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concorde

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