Skate away the Winter Blues!

Skating is a time-honoured Canadian past time. It’s great fun, but did you know it’s also great for your health? Just one hour of skating burns about 500 calories– an excellent way to get your 60 minutes of daily physical activity! So suit up and skate away those winter blues!

Skating for Beginners

• First, get in the beginner body position: knees bent, waist slightly forward, and arms out to the side at shoulder height. This will give you balance and keep you moving forward.
• Start to get the feel for your skates by simply walking around in them.
• Now, start gliding. Start by standing with your toes pointed outward and transferring your weight from one foot to the other.
• As time goes on and you are shifting your weight from side-to-side you will notice you are going faster and using the edges of the skate blades.
• The T-Stop is the simplest stop. Simply drag one foot sideways behind the foot that is going forward.
• After some practice days on the ice your body position should be shoulders down, back straight and chin up.

For more skating tips visit Skate Canada at www.skatecanada.ca.

What to Wear

Layering your clothes is the best system for staying warm in the winter! You should be dressing in three main layers: A base layer, insulating layer and outer layer.

Take Care of Your...

Head

• You lose up to 70% of warmth through your head.
• Always wear a helmet when skating.
• Always carry an extra hat.

Hands

• Wear a light glove liner next to your skin.
• Have a windproof water proof layer on top.
• Mittens tend to be warmer than gloves.

Feet

• Wear a insulating liner and nylon or wool over it.
• Make sure you have lots of room so you don’t cut off the circulation to your feet.
• If your feet are wet, change your socks right away.

Where do I get my Skates?

You can pick up a pair of second hand skates at any used clothing or sport equipment store. Check out yard sales and flea markets too!

Check That Ice

Always have the ice checked for thickness before you go skating. For information on safe places to skate in Halifax Regional Municipality, contact the Ice Safety Hotline at 1-902-490-3577 or go to www.halifax.ca/real_property/ice