Skating

Does anyone else enjoy skating. I have started going to a quad roller skating group (discos!). I also now go to an in-line skating group which goes out into the parks in the better weather. I've always enjoyed ice skating although don't go that often as I could never find skates that didn't hurt my feet.

I find skating wonderful exercise and it is especially good for developing the 'core muscles' in the stomach area as well as strengthening the legs and improving the balance.

I have not been to any classes but in typical Autie or Aspie fashion I can learn by teaching myself and can now skate backwards.

  • Mason said:

    It's suprising how many people do go ice skating on there own and they tend to be quite friendly. sometimes the more experienced skaters will give helpful advice like what you got, one guy was showing me how to glide properly and another time someone told me to put more weight on the front of the blades for backwards skating which does help a lot. like you say it's so nice when someone interacts, it's another reason why I like to go there!! I've had roller blades in the past and I really like the idea of it but it scares me more than ice skating because I live on a hill and it goes too fast downhill, I never managed stopping or slowing down with skates, at least with ice skating it's flat, smooth, easier to stop and as long as the blades are sharp they grip the ice!

    Oh my I don't think I could handle roller blades on a hill. The group I go to for Roller Blading go out into the parks when the weather gets better and I was wondering what happens when they reach a hill!

    I managed to get a book on ice skating from the library (the only one all of the libraries had in my area to borrow!). It's quite good and just a beginners book but interesting to read. It's called Ice Skating Basices by Araron Foeste. I hope to try and go ice skating tomorrow.

  • It's suprising how many people do go ice skating on there own and they tend to be quite friendly. sometimes the more experienced skaters will give helpful advice like what you got, one guy was showing me how to glide properly and another time someone told me to put more weight on the front of the blades for backwards skating which does help a lot. like you say it's so nice when someone interacts, it's another reason why I like to go there!! I've had roller blades in the past and I really like the idea of it but it scares me more than ice skating because I live on a hill and it goes too fast downhill, I never managed stopping or slowing down with skates, at least with ice skating it's flat, smooth, easier to stop and as long as the blades are sharp they grip the ice!

  • IntenseWorld - I can see why your young one wouldn't like the noise. The volume of the music is so loud, especially in the ice rinks or in the one I go to it is. Maybe they could get into inline skating as with that you can skate outdoors as long as it's on smooth tracks. With those skates I think your much less likely to fall unless you hit a hole in the ground.

    When I go skating I wear wrist guards, knee pads and elbow guards. Sometimes a helmet too. I have found that at first my back got sore but now my stomach muscles have strengthened a lot and core muscles.

  • That's wonderful Mason. I keep meaning to get a book. I have been trying to get the hang of forward cross-overs and can do them on the roller skates but haven't quite got the nerve on the ice. At the weekend I went ice skating and was trying to turn around and skate backwards (nearly falling on my nose) and a man came up to me and started giving me hints, telling me to keep looking up and lean back. It was difficult with so many people there but then about twenty minutes later a little boy said to me 'your doing well'.

    It made my day that two people spoke to me! I'm sure for Neurotypicals they wouldn't be thinking about how great it was that two people interacted with them. If someone had said something critical or nasty it would have stayed in my head forever the same way as those two people's comments will.

    I went quad skating too at the weekend and again it was so nice having the staff that work there speak to me and just come out with the occasional encouraging comment. One of them was showing me how to turn from forward to backward on the roller skates and I got the hang of it - going very slowly though. It seems to be as much about adjusting your balance for so many of the moves.

  • I used to take my children skating (both autistic), the main problem was the loud music caused the younger one to meltdown.  We haven't been for a while but we are thinking of going again.  I don't skate myself as I am terrified of falling and hurting my already problematic back.

  • I love skating and have recently gotten into ice skating, I bought some skates because the hire ones were awful and I haven't had lesson either but bought a book on ice skating, as you say in true aspie fashion I picked it up pretty quickly and can zoom round quickly, im comfortable with crossovers on the turns and can skate backwards! I really enjoy it though, I go on my own as I don't have many friends and certainly non who want to go ice skating and I can happily spend hours zooming around the rink!