SKATE OFF THE CHRISTMAS SURPLUS!

Skating is a good all round exercise to slough off the surplus pounds…..and skaters at Skating@Life see the benefits of regular cardio exercise. Ice Marshall and Life Science Centre host Nicola Whitworth, a former competitive figure skater (regular winner of the ‘annuals’, held at Whitley Bay) came to rely on her annual ice rink duties to keep her in tip top competitive shape “I tend to lose at least half a stone during the Skating@Life season without dieting, in fact with eating more, particularly over Christmas!” she says “By the time the season is over at the end of February, I am trimmer, much healthier, more energetic and ready to commence my duties on the exhibition floor” she says. Skating is a proven form of cardio exercise. The legs and buttocks benefit greatly. It’s been calculated that an hour’s skate will burn up to 350 calories an hour ….an activity that is not as intensive as being in the gym but, with a group of friends, suddenly becomes a social event…and a whole lot more enjoyable. There are two ways of approaching skating as exercise, either as ‘Power’ or ‘Endurance’….. 'Power' skating i.e. short bursts of skating at high speed and maximum exertion, rest and start again…is a little more difficult and would certainly alarm other skaters! 'Endurance' skating, the more sedate and more socially acceptable (for a busy city centre rink!) just happens to be the most effective…skating for at least an hour at a steady pace takes effort yet looks effortless, the skates doing most of the work and yet the muscles are working hard to keep control of balance and momentum. The dry land equivalent of skating is roller skating. A similar in technique with the same cardio health benefits, but is it easy to transfer from four wheels on a polished wooden floor to a single sharp blade on a slippery wet surface? Antonia Lister, marketing assistant at the Life Science Centre, aka Penny Bizarre, a skater with Newcastle Roller Girls who train in quad roller skates, tried ice skating for the first time this week “In principle, ice skating should be a doddle given my two years’ experience skating with Newcastle Roller Girls, but the sensation of swapping roller skates with ice skate takes a bit of getting used to. The effort required for your leg muscles to keep you stable is noticeable – it must be a great way to tone up those thighs.  Not having toe stops is a new experience as well – on roller skates I rely on them to stop, but not on ice skates! I’ll have to practise my ‘hockey stops’ – I’ve see the ice marshals teaching other people the technique” she says. “There’s only four weeks left of the rink at Life (closes 24^th February) …there’s some great offers like 2-4-I  at the moment …so I would say come and have a go….it’s a fantastic experience  and yes you can feel the muscles working. Endurance skating is a great way to relax too…while the muscles are working you can just get into your own ‘zone’ and think your own thoughts; iPods are not recommended though you’ve got to keep safe and be aware of other skaters on the ice!” (And to catch your breath The Times Square café is very welcoming…as is The Life Science centre itself with exhibition, science shows, the planetarium, the 4D Motion Ride… et al…..)