Learning to ice skate without someone's help really requires a lot of balance. If you want to learn on your own, just follow these steps.
Steps
Step 1. Stay close to the edge of the track
It will allow you to hold on to something, in case you have the impression of being about to fall. Hold on to the edge as you stabilize and gain confidence in the ice, then let go as soon as you feel ready.
Step 2. Keep your knees flexed
Resist the urge to spread them out, especially if you feel you are about to fall. Flexing them will help improve balance and keep you in an upright position.
Step 3. Walk in place with skates
Practice taking small steps on the spot: it will help you learn not to "give way" with the ankles towards the inside of the foot. It may seem ridiculous to you, but not as much as it might be skating in front of everyone with wobbly feet.
Step 4. Walk on ice with skates
Take a few steps until you have moved a few meters away. To prevent the foot with which you are pushing yourself from sliding backwards, keep them both sideways, opening the toes outwards (like the legs of a duck). Understand how skates tend to slide on ice and learn to correct yourself.
Step 5. Learn to fall without hurting yourself
Falling is inevitable, so you have no reason to be embarrassed. On the contrary, learn to do it safely. If you feel that you are starting to lose balance, try to squat in a more stable and safer position. In case you need to put your hands forward to stop, clench them into a fist to prevent anyone from walking over your fingers. Try to lean the flat part between your knuckles - rather than lean directly on the bones - so that it hurts less.
Step 6. Look in the direction you are skating in and not at your feet
It will help you maintain balance and trajectory, since the body has a tendency to go where the head is facing. You will also avoid clashing with other people.
Step 7. Skate slowly
Shift your weight onto your dominant foot, placing the weak one a little further back and at an angle, then give a light push with your weak foot, sliding slightly forward with your dominant one. Try to stop naturally, then repeat the action with the other foot, until you feel comfortable balancing on both sides.
Step 8. Combine a right and left stride
Once you have learned to do a stride both to the right and to the left, try to alternate them with a minimum - or no - pause between one and the other.
Step 9. Learn to brake
One way to do this is to shift your weight onto your dominant foot and drag the toe of the other skate to the ground behind you (more or less like you do with the rubber brake of roller skates). Another more advanced technique is to place the weight on the front foot, rotate it obliquely along your trajectory, then remove the weight so that the skate scratches the ice in front of you making you slow down. This technique requires much more practice and balance.
Step 10. Improve the balance of each foot by skating with large strides
Push with one foot and slide with the other as before, but this time do it with more force, in order to give yourself more momentum and slide farther on the ice. Gently lean forward during the stride and test your balance by slightly lifting the other foot off the ground. Brake or let yourself slow down naturally. Repeat on the other side.
Step 11. Stretch your strides alternating between left and right
When you can both alternate them and keep your balance on both feet, combine the techniques, in order to proceed like a real skater. As you improve, the speed will naturally increase.
Advice
- Don't be embarrassed if you fall, but stand up and laugh at it. Everyone was a beginner at the beginning!
- Concentrate on maintaining balance and do not think about falling.
- Wear a heavy jacket - it will keep you warm and, in case you fall, you won't hurt your arms.
- Wear gloves, even if your hands are already warm. They can serve as protection from the ice and other skaters, in case of falls.
- It is advisable to wear heavy cotton socks: they will help your feet to be more comfortable inside the skates and facilitate their perspiration.
- Be calm. If you panic or behave silly on the track with your friends or family, you will certainly risk falling.
- Do not overdo it. You are a beginner; don't act like you're an expert.
- Do not forget to accompany the movements with the body: in this way you will not fall backwards.
- Go slow and maintain stability.
- Don't try hard moves like turning around or jumping. It is preferable that a professional teach you step by step.
- Don't rely too much on the tip of the skate to stop you. Especially when it comes to rental skates, the ends can be blunt and stopping may become more difficult, thus increasing the chances of falling.
