Steps to Better Skating: Step 3 - Learn to Plie

Plie means to fold, or bend. Learning to bend the knees and ankles properly is perhaps one of the most important skills in jumping. Poor alignment can lead to long term injuries. Naturally, in order to bend the ankles, a skater should have enough flexibility in their boots to allow them to bend without putting excess pressure on other parts of the ankle and foot. I encourage my students to stay in as soft a boot for as long as possible and stay away from very stiff boots.

Learning to bend efficiently is best learned and practiced off the ice and then transferred onto the ice. Ballet class is an excellent place to start. A qualified teacher will help the student to be aware of their placement, keeping the knees over the toes and the pelvis in alignment with the rest of the spine. Although ballet is very effective at teaching bending, it is equally important to practice these bending exercises in a parallel position, with the toes both pointing forward and the feet hips distance apart, as performed in squats or other strength building exercises. It is also important to keep the heels on the floor during the demi, or small bends, in order to stretch the calf muscle and keep the Achilles tendon lengthened.

Because skating boots have a heel, the Achilles tendon and calf muscle may tend to be short and tight. This increases the need to practice bending and jumping exercises off the ice as well as stretches to lengthen these muscles and tendons.

Want more help with proper exercise? IceSkatingWorld.com provides a Fitness Assessment and Training Program. For more information click on Products & Services or visit:

• Marta Nilsen helps answer the Ask The Pros questions here at IceSkatingWorld.com. She is a master-rated coach teaching at the Lexington Ice and Recreation Center in Kentucky.