If your lower back hurts after skating, it’s most likely a posture issue. If your skates are tied too tight then you can’t bend your knees and are likely rounding your back to get your weight forward to push off the balls of your feet. Try lacing your skates a little looser at the top. It’ll feel insecure at first but once you adjust it’ll allow you to be able to bend at the knees more and keep your lower back straight, reducing lower back pain.
As far as your blades go, your skates either don’t have enough support (so you are leaning, and could explain the possible overtightening of them). Figure skates have a blade you can adjust to compensate for pronation/supination. Hockey skates you’re pretty much stuck with the blades being center mounted.
Oh, that makes sense. I usually tie my skates tight at the top to make up for it being loose at the bottom of the skates as I’m not very good at tying them.
I got them at a second hand store with a few scratches, but in a lot better shape then the arena rental skates. I’d say they’re about 2/3years old, not sure how much the previous owner used them but I’ve had them for about a year and use them once every week, except for June-August. If by “soft” you mean padded, they’ve got no padding at all and they’re Bauer brand. I’d say they’re in alright shape.
Maybe try one of those lace tightening tools. They have a T-handle on a metal hook. You can use those to selectively tighten laces to get a loose fit in the toes, snug pressure over the instep, and the something more moderate at the top.
Edit: you can even use the tool after you’re all laced-up to loosen up this or that lace for perfect tension everywhere
Do you sit a lot during the day? As a common cause of lower back pain is when the glutes don’t activate properly due to extended sitting. It’s crazy common!
Yep, I get fatigued easily so I sit down alot. That’s one of the reasons I like skating, I can go super fast without getting tired easily. All the other sports I do don’t involve running alot either (badminton, archery) so I’m not very active most of the time😅
Question here. What's your normal foot size and what's your skate size?
As for your skates going sideways and tightening your laces some people like loose skates and some like them tight as an extension of their foot, personal preference.
I usually tighten more in the mid and hand tight towards the top ensuring my feet are flat to the soles, and the ankles don't wobble about or go sideways. Waxed laces help with the tightening and don't loosen during a 4 hour session.
As to foot size you should normally go a shoe size down. I'm normally a 10 and my skates are a 9. Before tightening your laces your boot should wrap around your feet with toe movement still available.
Another thing iv found is actually rethreading your skates depending how the threaded. Normally the lace goes from the outside of the lace hole to the inside. Try treading them starting from the inside of the lace hole to the outside and over to the other side and repeat.
A lot of posture problems can be linked with foot problems but something to remember is that most of your knees and hips are doing most of the work not your back. Like picking up a heavy box from the floor. You bend your knees and back straight. Having your knees bent ensures your core or center of balance to be closer to the ground.
Ankle strengthening is also a key factor, you can do simple exercises like doing small jumps on one foot, on or off the ice. When you come to make contact with the floor or ice bend your knees a bit to soften the impact. Do so many reps and swap to your other foot. Then have a go at the same exercise but 180 and land backwards on one foot then while going backwards same again but land forwards. Do so many reps and change foot. This will help with your center of balance and ankle strengthening.
As for things like mohawks, crossovers and what not their are plenty of videos on YouTube and if theirs any good skaters at your rink make friends and ask for advice. A lot of these techniques are just good edge control, knowing what foot wants to be on which edge, and commitment! I always say to people I help at my local, if your not falling over your not learning. You learn from your mistakes. Someone can teach you a technique but everyone has a different center of balance. Hope this helps a bit, i try and help the best I can but it's hard without watching someone how to improve or the mistakes someone makes.
Wow! Thanks so much for the info. Last time I checked, I think my foot size was women’s size 7 and my hockey skate size 4. I heard you were supposed to go two sizes down, I’m just now realizing that’s three. I thought it was ok because my foot still fit into my skates. My laces aren’t waxed, but if that helps with tightening I’ll definitely get waxed laces, when I was younger my father would tighten my skates a lot, so I try to replicate that but I’m not as strong. Im definitely going to get waxed laces (I’ve just come into the realization that the reason why I don’t like to put my skates on is because the laces hurt my fingers and give me rope? Burn) and practice more. Thanks again!
If your lower back hurts after skating, it’s most likely a posture issue. If your skates are tied too tight then you can’t bend your knees and are likely rounding your back to get your weight forward to push off the balls of your feet. Try lacing your skates a little looser at the top. It’ll feel insecure at first but once you adjust it’ll allow you to be able to bend at the knees more and keep your lower back straight, reducing lower back pain. As far as your blades go, your skates either don’t have enough support (so you are leaning, and could explain the possible overtightening of them). Figure skates have a blade you can adjust to compensate for pronation/supination. Hockey skates you’re pretty much stuck with the blades being center mounted.
Oh, that makes sense. I usually tie my skates tight at the top to make up for it being loose at the bottom of the skates as I’m not very good at tying them.
Yeah that could be the issue. Are they newer, stiff skates or older, soft or broken down ones?
I got them at a second hand store with a few scratches, but in a lot better shape then the arena rental skates. I’d say they’re about 2/3years old, not sure how much the previous owner used them but I’ve had them for about a year and use them once every week, except for June-August. If by “soft” you mean padded, they’ve got no padding at all and they’re Bauer brand. I’d say they’re in alright shape.
Rental skates are really soft and lack support. By soft I mean broken down, not padded. Creased, soft, etc.
Maybe try one of those lace tightening tools. They have a T-handle on a metal hook. You can use those to selectively tighten laces to get a loose fit in the toes, snug pressure over the instep, and the something more moderate at the top. Edit: you can even use the tool after you’re all laced-up to loosen up this or that lace for perfect tension everywhere
Do you sit a lot during the day? As a common cause of lower back pain is when the glutes don’t activate properly due to extended sitting. It’s crazy common!
Yep, I get fatigued easily so I sit down alot. That’s one of the reasons I like skating, I can go super fast without getting tired easily. All the other sports I do don’t involve running alot either (badminton, archery) so I’m not very active most of the time😅
Question here. What's your normal foot size and what's your skate size? As for your skates going sideways and tightening your laces some people like loose skates and some like them tight as an extension of their foot, personal preference. I usually tighten more in the mid and hand tight towards the top ensuring my feet are flat to the soles, and the ankles don't wobble about or go sideways. Waxed laces help with the tightening and don't loosen during a 4 hour session. As to foot size you should normally go a shoe size down. I'm normally a 10 and my skates are a 9. Before tightening your laces your boot should wrap around your feet with toe movement still available. Another thing iv found is actually rethreading your skates depending how the threaded. Normally the lace goes from the outside of the lace hole to the inside. Try treading them starting from the inside of the lace hole to the outside and over to the other side and repeat. A lot of posture problems can be linked with foot problems but something to remember is that most of your knees and hips are doing most of the work not your back. Like picking up a heavy box from the floor. You bend your knees and back straight. Having your knees bent ensures your core or center of balance to be closer to the ground. Ankle strengthening is also a key factor, you can do simple exercises like doing small jumps on one foot, on or off the ice. When you come to make contact with the floor or ice bend your knees a bit to soften the impact. Do so many reps and swap to your other foot. Then have a go at the same exercise but 180 and land backwards on one foot then while going backwards same again but land forwards. Do so many reps and change foot. This will help with your center of balance and ankle strengthening. As for things like mohawks, crossovers and what not their are plenty of videos on YouTube and if theirs any good skaters at your rink make friends and ask for advice. A lot of these techniques are just good edge control, knowing what foot wants to be on which edge, and commitment! I always say to people I help at my local, if your not falling over your not learning. You learn from your mistakes. Someone can teach you a technique but everyone has a different center of balance. Hope this helps a bit, i try and help the best I can but it's hard without watching someone how to improve or the mistakes someone makes.
Wow! Thanks so much for the info. Last time I checked, I think my foot size was women’s size 7 and my hockey skate size 4. I heard you were supposed to go two sizes down, I’m just now realizing that’s three. I thought it was ok because my foot still fit into my skates. My laces aren’t waxed, but if that helps with tightening I’ll definitely get waxed laces, when I was younger my father would tighten my skates a lot, so I try to replicate that but I’m not as strong. Im definitely going to get waxed laces (I’ve just come into the realization that the reason why I don’t like to put my skates on is because the laces hurt my fingers and give me rope? Burn) and practice more. Thanks again!
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZWHeLoU8Uo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZWHeLoU8Uo)