Fuel Your Body through Healthy Eating

Christina Modeling Ellie's Double Threat Tank and Little Black CapriI have a post at Ice-Dance.com on the “Top 10 Ways to Fuel Your Body through Healthy Eating.” Here’s the beginning of the post:

Ice dance and dance in general often require the ideal “dancer’s body”. The measures that skaters and dancers take to get this “dancer’s body” can be extreme and dangerous at times. Since ice dancing is a sport, it’s more important than ever to protect your body to help ensure its longevity.

Ice dancing is becoming more technically difficult all the time. This really takes a toll on the body, increasing the risk for injuries. Therefore, fueling your body through healthy nutrition is one of the best things you can do to lengthen your career.

Here are my top 10 ways for you as a dancer to both fuel your body and maintain a “dancer’s body”:

Read the rest of the article.

July 6, 2013

Clothes That Are Great for Dance, Sports, and Workouts

As a dancer, athlete, and fitness specialist, finding great clothes that fit these areas has been a priority. Until I found Ellie activewear, most of the good brands I found were very expensive. Also, I love to feel stylish in what I’m wearing. With every piece of Ellie clothing, I feel stylish.

As a dancer, I look for sleek, form-fitting, supportive clothes with interesting straps and back designs. As an athlete, I like fun, sporty-but-stylish designs that I can wear to or from the rink or whatever activity I’m doing. As a fitness specialist, I like unique, stylish tops and bottoms that are perfect for working out in and fun to wear. I found that Ellie’s versatile activewear line has tops and bottoms that are perfect for all of these areas, whether it’s just for dance or whether it’s for your sport and working out.

Read the entire article.

April 28, 2013

How to Train for Competition

Will (13) and Christina (8) Chitwood at 1998 Broadmoor Open Practice Session

Will (13) and Christina (8) Chitwood at 1998 Broadmoor Open Practice Session

Once you become a competitive skater, it can help you grow in many areas of life if you train for a competition properly and use the competition as a learning experience.

After you and your coach have decided on a specific competition, set some goals for that competition. Then, each week, set weekly goals that will help you achieve your competition goals. (See New Year, New Goals.)

Leading up to any competition, you should utilize your practice time well. If you are in a lesson, focus as much as possible, and make notes after your lesson that you can use before your training sessions on your own.

Read the entire article.

February 6, 2013

How to Choose Music for Performance

Christina Chitwood and Mark Hanretty performing to “Bei Mir Bist Du Schön” from The Swing Kids at the 2009 European Championships. (Photo by Liz Chastney)

Christina Chitwood and Mark Hanretty performing to “Bei Mir Bist Du Schön” from The Swing Kids at the 2009 European Championships. (Photo by Liz Chastney)

Most of us listen to music every day. However, if we were asked what would be good music to perform to, would it be easy to answer? Maybe or maybe not.

Whether you’re choosing music for a show performance or for a competition program, here are some tips for choosing music, especially in figure skating.

1. Start with finding a notebook and pen.

2. Write down any pieces of music you really like and make you feel like moving.

3. Listen to these pieces of music while standing up (if you have the pieces of music – or you can search for and listen to them on the Internet). See how the songs make you feel, if you naturally begin moving to them, and if you can imagine skating to the music.

Read the entire article

November 30, 2012

Top 3 Training Tips Figure Skaters Can Learn from Olympic Gold Medalist Evan Lysacek

Evan Lysacek during his Olympic long program. (Photo by Liz Chastney)

Evan Lysacek during his Olympic long program. (Photo by Liz Chastney)

The 2010 Olympic men’s gold medalist has been a role model for a long time.  As the 2009 World champion, Evan was already used to performing on a large stage.  Evan’s performance with two clean programs at the 2010 Olympics gave him the distinction of being the first American man to win the Olympics as the reigning World champion since Scott Hamilton in 1984.  Evan’s success is obviously not a fluke, and figure skaters can learn important training tips from Evan’s example:

1.  Hard work pays off.

Everything I’ve heard about Evan mentions his intense work ethic and drive.  He dedicates much of his time to being in peak physical and mental condition.  On occasion,  his coach, Frank Carol, has told Evan to stop running his program so many times.  His hard work really paid off when he became the first American man to win an Olympic gold medal since Brian Boitano in 1988.  Evan is celebrating his success by purchasing an Aston Martin DB9!

2.  Focus on every aspect of your skating.

Evan has worked hard to develop his overall skating skills.  Not only is he a strong jumper, but Evan’s spins, jumps, footwork, and artistry help him be one of the best male skaters in the world.  Even though Evgeni Plushenko, the gold-medal favorite going into the Olympics, landed his quad in both the short and long programs, Evan topped his score because of a stronger overall long program.

Evan Lysacek after receiving his Olympic gold medal. (Photo by Liz Chastney)

Evan Lysacek after receiving his Olympic gold medal. (Photo by Liz Chastney)

3.  Nice guys do finish first.

Evan has a good reputation for being a nice person and shows humility even though he is now the reigning World and Olympic men’s champion.  He graciously handled the debate about why he won the Olympics without a quadruple jump in his program.  He defended the entire men’s field in his response to Plushenko’s heated opposition after the event:

Nobody likes to lose. . . . Plushenko is a great guy, a great skater. I’ve admired him for years. I thought he did an outstanding job . . . For him to discredit the field, though, that’s not right. It’s probably the strongest men’s field there’s ever been, and I was honored to be in the field.

I guess I was a little disappointed that someone who is my role model would take a hit at me in what is probably one of the most special moments of my life.

Evan’s qualities as Olympic champion are important qualitities to have, not just as a skater but as a person.  What do you find to be Evan’s most inspiring quality?

March 2, 2010