This week’s fitness challenge will have you ‘Step it up’ and tour famous monuments across the United States. Climb your way to the top of the Statue of Liberty, the Seattle Space Needle and St. Louis’ Gateway Arch. All you need is a flight of stairs for this activity. Each box represents 10 steps (or a standard flight of stairs) and as you climb to the top of each monument, you will ultimately finish at the top of the Gateway Arch which will be 1,076 steps high! See you all virtually at our weekly Friday fitness session. Learn to Skate USA ..read more

As we continue to practice social distancing, here’s our next weekly fitness challenge, “Fit-25 Bingo.” These sets of exercises will help keep you up with cardio, strength, balance, and overall wellness. If you complete five activities in a row, you will earn a bingo, and if you complete all 25 then you are awarded Blackout Bingo! We can do them together when we see each other at our virtual workout class every Friday. Source: Learn To Skate USA, https://medium.com/l ..read more

While rinks across the globe are shut down to curtail the spread of the coronavirus, I thought this would be a good time to take some simple steps to keep your skates in great shape. Properly maintaining your skates is important because it not only extends the durability and structural integrity of your skates but will save you a trip to the pro shop and money for repairs in the long-run. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hohjmWdeyic&feature=youtu.be ..read more

It was so disappointing to learn that the World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal next week had been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.  We won’t be able to watch the highly anticipated Nathan Chen (US) and Yuzuru Hanyu (Japan) compete for the gold.  What’s even more disappointing is that my favorite ice dance couple, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, would not be able to challenge the French ice dancers, Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, for the title this year.  Chock and Bates reclaimed their US National title this year with their amazing Egyptian snake freedance program ..read more

I get asked this question a lot from my Learn-to-Skate USA parents, particularly those whose children are taking high level basic skills group classes. To determine if your skater should join a club, I like to ask my skaters and parents the following questions … Does your skater genuinely enjoy being on the ice? Do you find your skater wanting to stay on the ice after group class is over to further practice? Does your skater ask to go to the rink and/or want more lessons every week? Does your skater like to perform and/or compete beyond basic skills?   Does your skater want to meet and make ne ..read more

The other night I was at a family dinner, and we were discussing the US Figure Skating Championships which was currently taking place. We all commented on the spectacular skating performances, but we were especially amazed by Alysa Liu and Nathan Chen. My aunt then casually remarked how technical freestyle skating is, and how it is “way more difficult than ice dancing” because of the jumps. There has always been a big misconception that ice dancing is “easier” than freestyle. Having competed in both disciplines, I can attest to the fact that freestyle and ice dancing focus on different skills ..read more

Today we celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD) and I want to recognize all my female Learn-to-Skate students and my fellow peers for leading an active lifestyle and pushing themselves hard every day to realize their potential.  On Feb 4, 1987, President Ronald Regan issued a proclamation to honor and observe outstanding female athletes and their extraordinary contributions to sports. The day was initially to remember the untimely death of Olympic volleyball player, Flo Hyman, for her achievements and dedication to promoting equality.  She suddenly died from Marfan’s Syndro ..read more

What better way to start off a brand new decade than by learning to skate?!  Embrace winter and learn new skills that will last a lifetime while simultaneously enjoying the fun and fitness of skating. For those who already skate, the new year is the best time to set short and long-term goals and challenge yourself to new experiences. Please see my Sept 9, 2019 post “Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals” on how to make clear and defined goals to better keep you on track (https://www.figureskatingetc.com/new-blog/2019/9/16/setting-smart-goals ..read more

What better way to start off a brand new decade than by learning to skate?!   Embrace winter and learn new skills that will last a lifetime while simultaneously enjoying the fun and fitness of skating. As January is National Skating Month, this is the perfect time to get on the ice as many of your local rinks will host open houses and offer free lessons and exhibitions. I will once again lead my club’s National Skating Month event in Howell, NJ on Sat, Jan 25 (please see the “Events” page for more details). Also, in honor of Martin Luther King’s legacy of service, I will be giving free lessons ..read more

Learn to Skate USA, January 2020 p 16 ..read more