How to design an exercise program which addresses both stiffness and hyper-mobility by Annette T. Thomas

Skates on floor exercises at Atlanta Workshop 2018

This is such a difficult subject as coaches are required to teach both "stiff" and "hyper-mobile" skaters in the same lesson! I am going to just give some suggestions and bullet points as this is TRULY an entire week seminar in study (in person!). So here goes - and I am purposefully leaving this open ended so that we can study this more in depth in the future.

Mobility is the KEY!

The precise combination in methodically teaching

-Strength before stretch

- When a warm up becomes a stretch and

-individual physical assessment

(which you as a coach CAN and should have a rudimentary understanding of.

Is vital to your skaters' success - and you as their coach not losing your mind! :)

1. Sad facts: (a) There is no proper study of alignment that can happen on ice; and (b) Training by how you want the final "product" to look has very little to do with the actual beginnings of how to get there - the LOOK of something and the FEEL of correct alignment through the process are 2 different things. in other words - Preliminary exercises rarely look like the final product. SUGGESTION: Coaches give a group ZOOM lesson once per week on ONE specific issue which will be beneficial for all and WORK FROM THE GROUND UP.

2. Stiff skaters and hyper-mobile skaters initially BOTH need the same thing - Stabilizer strength and better whole body awareness and connection. They both also need to work on whole body alignment with equal work out on both sides of the body (please see my article: https://americanicetheatre.org/2021/04/17/the-importance-of-stabilizer-muscles-in-movement-training/

3. Hyper-mobile skaters need more ISOMETRIC exercises (when a muscle produces tension and force without changing its length or causing movement at the joint) Examples: Squeezing the glutes for stability, medially squeezing (adduction) the legs together in parallel while pulling up the knee caps. Not arching the lower back during leg extensions by contracting the deep abs. They also need more strength training within these parameters* as you want to strengthen ligaments and tendons which will STABILIZE the joints.

4. Hyper-Mobile skaters also need stop stretching and work on their strength (Pilates is a better choice than Yoga for them). Hypermobile skaters tend to love to stretch (it releases endorphins!) SO absolutely no stretching at the boards or stretching before practicing jumps. Of course warm ups but no stretching.

5. Stiff skaters in SPECIFIC need to use myofascial massage to relax and soften myofascia before warming up and after every lesson.

6. Stiff skaters need more ECCENTRIC exercises (muscle actions where the muscle lengthens while under tension) Examples: All of the Floor exercises in my article above. Most sports exercises involve Isometric and Concentric (muscle shortening) exercises so stiff skaters are constantly stretching after doing this muscle shortening exercises! There is a way to BOTH strengthen as you LENGTHEN and this is what many of the Vaganova Floor exercises which I teach are all about.

7. Stiff skaters (and well as Hyper-mobile ones) need to learn how to BREATH into and out of a movement. Especially for your stiff skaters - added oxygen to blood flow will relax muscles and help students to focus on alignment.

TIPS through pages in my Fundamentals book:

From my Fundamentals book - notice how Caroline is not arching her lower back but using her fulcrum (centre of the body - 5th lumbar vertebra) to strengthen and lengthen

Again always a balance between strengthen and stretch - And always SLOW sustained exercises!

About the main fulcrum of the body - achieving a 90 degree angle (torso to lifted leg) of sustained strength in ALL directions BEFORE trying to go higher is the ONLY way to protect accuracy, proper technique and ease of motion without injury.

Working with skates on will add strength and awareness as you work on good body mechanics and posture. Notice the lift in Laura's torso as she lifts her leg - NO LEANING FORWARD - this is an eccentric contraction of the spine and extended leg. From my "The Importance on Tendu" article available on my website.

Lastly:

8-) GO SLOWLY! (I know, everyone hates this part, lol! But "herding cats" (600+ muscles not counting ligaments tendons, "musicality", minds wandering and wondering!) takes time- that's why I recommend making a lesson plan based on these concepts and 'feeding" them to your students just a bit at a time. Then when you get them on the ice say: "remember when we corked on ______"? Now feel that here at the boards and then on the centre.

Hope this helps to get you started!!

Comments always welcome!

Best Always,

Annette

(c) 2026 Prime Radiant Press and Ballet for Figure Skaters. If you pass this along please keep it intact or at least cite your sources. Thank you!