The skating you see at a World Championships isn't there by chance. It rests on years of work and on everyday habits off the ice. In this introductory guest post, physical therapist and athletic trainer David Merson covers three performance and recovery habits you can start today: rolling out, drinking enough water and getting good sleep.
Key takeaways
- David's foundation for on-ice performance is three habits: rolling out, water and sleep.
- Rolling out after an intense workout eases muscle tightness and brings blood flow to the muscle, and he suggests doing it before a hard session too.
- His rule of thumb for water is at least half your body weight in ounces every day.
- Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep, in a dark room kept at about 65 to 68°F, with devices off.
Where great skating comes from
We all watched the power, skill and precise execution of the skating skills, jumps and choreography of every athlete at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston. That level of performance is not there by chance. It comes from years of effort and dedication, and from consistently practicing quality performance and recovery habits that serve as your figure skating foundation.
Now think about which performance and recovery habits you already have. If you're not sure what they are, you're not alone. In this introductory article, you'll learn three simple ones you can start today.
Start with three questions
First, let's start with three questions. Each one lines up with one of the habits below.
- Do you "roll out" with a foam roller, a vibrating therapy device or a percussive therapy device?
- Do you think you drink enough water every day?
- Do you think you get enough quality sleep?
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Build a bundleRolling out
You'll benefit from using a foam roller after an intense workout for several reasons, including better blood circulation and less muscle tension. Rolling out a muscle reduces its tightness and brings blood flow to it, and that blood carries nutrients the muscle needs for repair. Less tightness lets your body work properly and efficiently, and less soreness means you can keep training as hard as you have been.
Here's my tip. If rolling out does that much for you after an intense workout, you should roll out before an intense workout too. It's a simple way to prepare your body to perform at its best.
Water
Your body needs water to work properly, and a large part of it is made up of water. That's why I recommend drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of water every day. For example, if you weigh 120 pounds, divide 120 by 2 to get 60, so 60 ounces is the minimum amount of water you should drink each day.
Sleep
Quality sleep is a big part of your success on and off the ice. Adults are advised to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night on average, and as adults with busy lives, that can be a challenge. When you can't add more hours, there are other ways to improve the quality of the sleep you do get.
- Disconnect from all devices before bed.
- Make sure your room is completely dark.
- Keep the room at about 65 to 68°F.
Small changes, big gains
Reflect on what changes you can make to your recovery habits to reach your ideal level of performance. You can make small, simple and effective changes and notice large gains in your skating, on and off the ice. If you have questions, please reach out to me directly at davidmerson@gmail.com.
About David
David Merson, PT, DPT, ATC, is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Certified Athletic Trainer with more than 15 years of figure skating evaluation, treatment, performance and recovery experience. He is part of U.S. Figure Skating's travel medical team and has worked as a physical therapist at many Boston-area events, including the 2025 World Championships. He was a contributing author for Figure Skater Fitness Magazine.
He has also created an on-demand online course on figure skating performance and recovery, Activate Your Figure Skating Performance, through The Activation Lab. You can find him on Instagram at @davidmersondrptatc and @the_activation_lab.
Sources
This is a guest post, and the advice in it is David's own, based on his work with skaters. We edited it in October 2026 for layout and clarity and checked the general health figures against the sources below.
- National Sleep Foundation, sleep duration recommendations: 7 to 9 hours a night for adults.
- Sleep Foundation, "Best Temperature for Sleep": a cool bedroom of about 65°F, with a thermostat range of 65 to 68°F.
- The Activation Lab, course page for Activate Your Figure Skating Performance: David's background and the course.
