Is It Ever O.K. for Figure Skaters to Swim?

This question comes from reader Helicopter Mom, who is wondering if figure skaters should swim:

Last year I had my daughter skating 5-6 mornings a week (with on- and off-ice conditioning as well) and practicing with a swim team 4-5 evenings a week. At the time, her coach said it was fine as long as she didn’t skate the day before a competition. Sounded strange but I said okay and we went through last summer that way.

This summer we decided she needed a little more down time so we skipped the swim team but she is still skating (and conditioning) 6 mornings a week. This year, I’ve noticed some of the moms don’t let their kids swim hardly ever. We have a competition this weekend and I know one little girl couldn’t swim all week leading up to it, which sadly coincided with the worst heat wave of the summer so far. My daughter was invited to a swim party on Wed., and since the other parents were being so adamant about it, I checked with the coach and got the okay for my daughter to attend (she doesn’t skate until Sunday).

So… I started looking on the Internet to find the source of this “swimming is bad for skating” theory and am having no luck finding the basis for it. However, I will say that my daughter’s coach can tell the next day if she has been swimming and so can some of the other coaches at the rink – and my daughter says her legs feel “loopy” the next day. So I’m wondering if anyone knows (experts or readers) the reason for not swimming before a competition.

Awesome question, Helicopter Mom. Thanks for the e-mail! I asked Lauren Downes of Sk8Strong this question in my audio interview with her in May. You can listen to the whole thing here, but below is a short excerpt:

Don’t swim right before skating because the warm water relaxes the muscles too much before skating. However, using swimming as a sport is O.K. It helps them work muscle groups other than those for skating.

Downes went on to say that skaters shouldn’t use hot tubs before they compete or skate, again because of the warm water effect on muscles.

Downes knows her stuff. She’s a physical therapist, a skate coach, and she created those great Sk8Strong DVDs and manuals to assist skaters and coaches with proper off-ice training techniques.

However, despite this information, the swimming myth persists. So, readers, I ask you: let’s compare notes about swimming.

Please copy and paste the form below into the comments. Include the weird html code. Trust me.

Does your figure skating coach allow your skater to swim? 
Does your skater swim? 
Does your figure skating coach know about the swimming? 
What have you been told about swimming and figure skating? 
Have you noticed any change in your skater if your skater has been swimming and then skating? 
Other comments, stories, observations, questions about swimming/figure skating:

Thank you, Helicopter Mom, for sending in this question. I know a lot of parents have the same question you do. Parents, if you have a question for Ice Mom or the Advisory Board or you have an idea for a post you’d like to see, please e-mail me. I’d love to hear from you. If you would like to write a guest post, e-mail me this minute! I’d love for you to be my new best friend. Send your e-mail to: icemom.diane@gmail.com

Photo credits:
No swimming in Clear Lake (aliens sign): kinez on Flickr.com Creative Commons
No swimming (green water): MGShelton on Flickr.com Creative Commons
No swimming, alligator pond: joshme17 on Flickr.com Creative Commons
Please, no swimming: tobiashm on Flickr.com Creative Commons

Lynne

Does your figure skating coach allow your skater to swim? I've never been told by his coach not to let him swim, and I haven't mentioned it.

Does your skater swim? Yes, recreationally in our back yard pool, and with this heat wave he's been swimming every day for 1-3 hours. Usually he swims after he skates as most of his ice time is in the morning, but one day a week his lesson is in the evening, and he has been swimming that same day in the morning/early afternoon.

Does your figure skating coach know about the swimming? We haven't discussed it.

What have you been told about swimming and figure skating? Nothing

Have you noticed any change in your skater if your skater has been swimming and then skating? I just started paying attention to this as I've been reading the posts here and have seen no difference. Last week he swam for two hours in the morning and had a lesson that evening 5 hours later. He had an excellent skate, including landing all the doubles he currently has consistent plus his double flip which he's working on and only occasionally lands.

Other comments, stories, observations, questions about swimming/figure skating: My son can't roller blade the same day he skates. This spring, both of us noticed that he skated poorly when he roller bladed that same day. And stress from school often makes him skate poorly, probably because he's preoccupied by his homework load, the project that's due, or an upcoming test. And he also doesn't skate well if he's stayed up late, even if he sleeps in in the morning.
guest

I'm puzzling over who swims in “warm” water? We live in the sub-tropics and it's only a few weeks a year our pool is genuinely warm. Mostly we swim because we want to cool down in cool water.
So … does this 'avoid swimming' advice only apply to heated pools???
Darntsen

Does your figure skating coach allow your skater to swim? Yes and no. When her incividual coach is wearing her synchro coach hat, the answer is absolutely not when they're at competitions. The other synchro co-caoch would rather that she never swims (we just don't tell her that she is still competing.)Her individual coach is OK with it (she has passed lifesaving certification herself).
Does your skater swim? All the time.
Does your figure skating coach know about the swimming? She knows she swims but we don't offer too much info about her swimming.
What have you been told about swimming and figure skating? Been told by skaters it leads to wobbly legs but Sasha Cohen wrote that she was advised to swim to improve her core muscles to help improve her back problems.
Have you noticed any change in your skater if your skater has been swimming and then skating? She's in better shape when she's training. One instructor (not her private coach) commented that she had great upper body strength which she doesn't often see in skaters.
Other comments, stories, observations, questions about swimming/figure skating: Wondering about skating and water skiing because DD is thinking of training with a precision water skiing team. That certainly makes my legs wobbly!
gt7301b

I am an adult skater and I think this whole post is a bit crazy. Not letting kids swim in the summer is the kind of thing that makes kids rebel and drop out of skating all together. Are kids supposed to spend the summer watching their friends play at the pool and not join in? I skate because I love it and kids should too. Lets face it there are 3-4 big competitions a year – I can see not skating the day before those events, but otherwise let kids be kids.
Anonymous

I bet she would be a good water-skiier after having done figure skating because the posture is similar and she will be familiar with the use of edges on her equipment.
SuperSkater

Does your figure skating coach allow your skater to swim? Coach has no really strong opinion, but would prefer that any other sports be done AFTER skating so they aren't too tired.

Does your skater swim? Yes, we have a subdivision pool, but in the summer she mostly skates in the morning so swimming is later. We would never swim before skating, their legs are like limp noodles and they are too tired!
Does your figure skating coach know about the swimming? Not really applicable in our case, coach probably knows her skaters are swimming but I think it's only an issue with higher level skaters & most of them know swimming isn't smart to do until after the ice time is over for the day…
What have you been told about swimming and figure skating? We were never actually told anything i don't think…. it was just common sense not to do ANY other tiring sport just before skating that day…

Have you noticed any change in your skater if your skater has been swimming and then skating? We've never swam before skating, but as far as the NEXT day after swimming, no, I've not noticed any difference. I should think that they'd be recuperrated by the next day!

Other comments, stories, observations, questions about swimming/figure skating: The only other issue I could see is if your swimming skater gets water in their ears, that may cause isses when skating.
sk8rmomp

Great question and post!
The main concern I have heard from coaches is that the skaters who are competing at higher levels don't swim before they skate that day. I say higher levels because the usual scenario is that you are away for a qualifying competition and are staying at a hotel. The hotel has an inviting pool…etc. After they compete, they can go and swim. The next day, same rules apply.

Some coaches are pretty adamant, not even being in the water before the skate because the water is very relaxing to muscles and when you need them, they won't be there. Maybe you won't react this way, but during competition…why take a chance?

The misunderstanding that swimming (as exercise) is not good for skaters might arise from the above prohibition during competition. Which has nothing to do with the swimming motions etc being contraindicated for skaters.

Think about when you last got into a pool, when you got out, don't you feel relaxed and great? Young children often go right to sleep after a nice “swim”. Makes sense not to do something like this before you compete or do serious training right?.

As for swimming before a competition, unless you do laps everyday before you skate, or playing in the pool is your normal routine before a skate, it's common sense not to experiment with something new right before a competition. Same thing goes for any new foods or new exercise routine.

Swimming is great for kids. It's great cross training as well and fun.

I don't notice any adverse effects from swimming, but usually DS doesn't swim right before competition. Oh, yes, he did play in the pool right before he skated at regionals last year. Primary coach wasn't there, so we didn't know any better. No it wasn't a huge deal, sub coach didn't wail and tear her hair out. Just said it's not a good idea for next time. He did fine seemed to skate like he usually did, however he did take a nap and competed later in the evening. So much for our common sense LOL.

Will he be swimming or playing in the pool right before a competition any more? No. LOL why take a chance

Will he swim any more? of course, just not before he skates. He loves it and it's great non-impact cross training.

Also, I was told it doesn't matter how “warm” the water is. If you think about it, anecdotally, I feel just as relaxed after a cold dunk in the lake as a swim in a pool.
Amyborysowich

I dunno… I trained for a triathalon while skating and, actually, noticed a bit more power in my skating. Then again, I’m not a high level skater. Is this sort of like eating before swimming?? My coach was a sports physiotherapist or something like that and I’d never, ever heard of something like this. Actually, I trained one summer at a private club and they had us swimming every day for off ice.
Amyborysowich

I dunno… I trained for a triathalon while skating and, actually, noticed a bit more power in my skating. Then again, I'm not a high level skater. Is this sort of like eating before swimming?? My coach was a sports physiotherapist or something like that and I'd never, ever heard of something like this. Actually, I trained one summer at a private club and they had us swimming every day for off ice.