Winter is upon us and it’s important to stay active during the dark and dreary months in order to combat winter belly bulge and down-in-the-dumps depression. One of the fun ways to get exercise through the winter season is to take to the ice in either an indoor or outdoor rink. Ice skating is a great way to get fresh air and exercise and to keep you both physically and mentally healthy.

If you have never skated before, but want to give ice skating a try, here are some of the basic moves that you can practice so your time on the ice is fun and enjoyable and not just spent falling and fumbling around.

Ice Skating Move #1 - Stroking

Stroking should be the first move you learn when ice skating. This is how you get around smoothly on the ice, unless you like “walking” on your skates and getting nowhere fast!

To begin stroking, gently push off the front point of your back skate to get you moving on the other skate. Then, as you are gliding, move your back foot forward and, in one smooth movement, place it on the ice and switch your weight to that foot. Each time you change skates, you will push off of the other foot to give you forward momentum.

Once you get the hang of stroking along the ice, you can begin practicing backward stroking. Also, as you become more comfortable on the ice, you will want to use power pushes to get you moving much faster. To achieve this, simply turn your pushing skate slightly sideways to get more bite on the ice.

Ice Skating Move #2 - Snowplow

Snowplowing is the easiest way for a beginner to stop on the ice (except for running into the wall!). If you are a downhill snow skier or cross country skier then you are probably familiar with the snowplow as it is executed in exactly the same way. 

To perform a snowplow stop, reduce your speed and point the toes of your skates in a “V” shape while holding your feet slight apart. This “V” shaped positioning of your skates will cause friction against the ice and slow you down.

Ice Skating Move #3 - Mohawk Turn

Unless you want to simply move around the rink in one direction your whole ice skating experience, it’s good to learn how to make a turn from one direction to the opposite direction. A Mohawk turn will have you doing that in no time flat as it’s one of the easiest turns for beginners to master.

While gliding on one skate, place the other foot in a perpendicular position at about the center of your gliding skate. When you’re ready to make your turn, quickly drop your turn foot onto the ice and shift your weight to it while simultaneously lifting your gliding foot off the ice. You have just made a turn. You can make a Mohawk turn either to the right or the left depending on which foot your use.

Ice Skating Move #4 – Figure Eight

This is a skating move that most folks want to try on the ice because of its gracefulness. Actually, the figure eight isn’t that difficult to learn. The trickiest part is the exchange of skates at the figure eight center point. Here’s how to do it:

Begin turning in a circle on one foot by leaning on the outer edge of the skate. Keep your free foot close to and slightly touching the gliding foot. When you reach the point where you complete the first circle, switch to the other foot and lean your weight onto it in the opposite direction. This will put you in motion to create the second circle which, when completed, should form a perfect figure 8 with the second circle finishing where the first circle was completed.

There you have it! With a little time practicing these ice skating moves, you will look like a pro out on the ice. Well, maybe not a pro, but at least you won’t spend most of your time on your backside!