Winter is here finally in Colorado, with the snow falling and the anticipation to get back on the slopes. Is your body ready for the upcoming season?
As a skier I thoroughly enjoy skiing the entire day, possibly taking a break for lunch but making sure that I get the most out of the day. Getting your entire body in shape is greatly important to avoid injury and to reduce stress on your body.
Although both legs are involved when skiing and making smooth turns. Your weight shifts to the toe edge when making a turn and the majority of your weight goes to one side. Which makes single-leg training so important. However, bilateral (double leg) training is needed to create a foundation first to ensure strength in that area. But bilateral training won’t create independent strength for each side and doesn’t address any muscle imbalances and asymmetries that could be present. Making sure that your legs and core are in shape for the season, focus on training with the idea of single-leg strength in mind.
If there are muscle imbalances present during skiing then it could lead to compensation and pain which can lead to inefficient skiing. However, the more efficient your body mechanics and muscle performance are, the more seamless your day on the slopes will be.
So before your first day on the mountain, try these exercises and prepare your body for the entire season.
- Air Squats with reaches (front reach, side to side, overhead, reach across low left and low right)
- 4-way single leg reaches (front, behind, lateral, curtsy)
- Single leg wall squats
- Single leg balance with upper extremity resistance rotations
- Tall kneeling, half kneeling, lunges Pallof press rotations