Introduction

Figure skating is a sport that involves people skating on the ice where they gracefully perform freestyle movements such as jumps, spins, footwork, and lifts. Ice skaters perform this sport either as a pair or as a single person. They call it Figure skating because of the patterns and movements that skaters make on the ice, and it has become one of the best Olympics games that happen during winter. Figure skating is a fun and engaging sport that allows an individual to feel the wind in the air, to imagine the ground rising to meet them and to see the world rushing in a blur. It gives one an excellent experience of sharp pain falling which makes the skaters yearn for greater satisfaction and perfection. This is the world of figure skating, where skaters have to do exhilarating jumps, spins, and lifts to land on the ground gracefully. Besides the fun factor, figure skating plays a significant role in physical education because it has health and fitness benefits that are essential in one’s life.

Figure skating is essential in physical education. Physical education is an institutional form of sports activity that focuses on developing physical fitness and the ability to carry out daily activities with ease. Physical education is a sophisticated and exclusive area of sports foundation because it influences the whole personality of an individual. It is essential in developing the life of people and it also positively influences students to create useful and personal skills. It enhances vocation, the level of endurance, and it is a boost of self-confidence. Besides the effect of personal development, physical education plays a significant role in the training levels and health students. Its purpose is to create an attitude of health awareness in students that will help them excel successfully in their education and life. Establishing a positive health attitude is of utmost significance because it helps in a country’s economy, and if citizens of a country have poor health because they perform poorly in physical activities, then the nation will lag.

The role of figure skating in promoting physical health

As said earlier, figure skating is essential in physical education which helps students develop fitness and personal skills that are significant for their growth. Figure skating legends like Katarina Witt and Peggy Fleming accrue their good health and wellness to this sports activity and its many benefits. The following physical education benefits correlate with figure skating;

Improves mental health

Mental health refers to an individual emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Many people have had to spend a lot of money to treat mental health issues such as depression, stress, and mental illness. Many countries have recognized poor mental health as a prevalent issue that millions of people suffer. Research indicates that at least 1 in 5 people has experienced mental health issues. Mental health is not a problem that one can solve overnight and it requires a lot of financial resources to curb it. But one essential activity that research has found useful in aiding positive mental health is the sport. One fantastic game that can help improve the mental status of students is figure skating.

The fresh air that a person gets while outside ice skating combined with the sun can do wonders to the mental health of an individual. Skating on ice is an excellent stress reliever as the outdoor surrounding allows one to meditate. Ice skating also enables one to release happy chemicals in the body such as endorphins which spark positive feelings throughout the body, and the more a person skates, the more comfortable they feel. Also, ice skating is a series of steps, and it helps to boost the confidence of a person because as a person accomplishes one level, they feel good about their abilities. They gain this belief in their strengths and skills and want to try out new things. Figure skating offers a great way to release some steam in the body and allows one to enjoy the outside surroundings and unwind with family and friends.

Body muscle building

Most people will debate if figure skating is good for muscle building because it lacks intensity and competition. So if one tells them that a person who skates has leg muscles, they would laugh at the thought. However, figure skating builds leg muscles as ice skaters put a lot of focus on their lower body movements which necessities them to have strong muscles. Consider the triple axel revolution jump; an ice skater takes off from their left foot and spins off three and a half times in the air and later land softly on the ground with their right foot. They will do the spinning at high speeds to achieve the highest score, and this requires them to be strong. Besides leg muscles, figure skating works almost every group muscles in the body. Like any other exercises helps to improve cardiovascular health as it gets the heart rate up and gets the blood pumping.  Ice skating strengthens and tones the hips, hamstrings, the gluteus maximus, pelvic floor muscles, and the back muscles. This sports activity improves the health of each tissue, for instance, it reduces backaches and urinary stress incontinence suffered by childbearing women. By making the body muscles to be strong, it increases the energy levels that an individual requires in making daily activities such as walking, running, squatting, sitting, standing, and bending.

Better flexibility and balance

The most significant aspect of figure skating is attaining balance since one can ice skate when they know how to balance. Achieving and maintaining balance as an individual work their body offers a great challenge that engages the core body areas and builds stability in the legs. An individual learns how to engage their muscles while standing, and by doing so, they not only tone the muscles, but they also control their body endurance and flexibility. Ice skating requires one to do quick fast body movement with their feet such as spins, and this needs them to be flexible.

Enhance weight loss

Figure skating as a sporting activity is demanding and involving, and it requires a lot of energy. This activity has been used by people to cut down on weight loss. Research reveals that an individual loses between 300 to 600 calories an hour when they ice skate. Figure skating is a way of getting a golden ticket to better health because finding an activity that accelerates weight loss is difficult. Overweight comes with a myriad of health issues such as diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and heart problems. Ice skating will enable an individual to lose weight quickly, reducing the chances of getting these high-risk diseases and improving wellness.