Hit the Slopes with Confidence: Essential Skiing Tips to Master
Mastering the art of gliding down the slopes might seem effortless, but your legs put in some serious work behind the scenes! Strengthen your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves with low-impact workouts. These include short runs, elliptical sessions, yoga, and Pilates. These exercises not only prepare your muscles for the task but also protect your joints, particularly your knees, from potential injury.
If you're looking to get ready for your ski trip, consider incorporating some low-impact cardio into your routine. Short runs, for instance, can be enhanced with lunges with a twist and bounding drills. On the elliptical, you can try interval training and changing the resistance and incline to target various muscle groups.
Yoga, meanwhile, can be a great way to build strength and flexibility. Exercises like glute and hip warm-ups, high lunge variations, and squats and leg lifts can help strengthen your legs. Pilates, too, offers options like the pilates-style bridge and shrimp squat, which can help improve your balance and flexibility.
Just remember to always warm up before starting any workout, and listen to your body to avoid overexertion. Happy skiing!
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Scientific studies suggest that incorporating low-impact workouts can significantly improve your skiing performance and reduce the risk of injury. For instance, a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that strength training exercises like squats and lunges could improve power, agility, and endurance in skiers.[1] Another study, published in Sports Medicine, found that combining yoga with strength training could help improve balance and reduce risk of injury among skiers.[4]
When performing short runs, consider incorporating lunges with a twist. This exercise targets multiple muscle groups, including the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core. To perform it, stand tall with feet hip-width apart and hands on your hips. Take a large step forward with your right leg, lowering into a lunge. Twist your torso to the right, engaging your core. Return to the starting position and repeat on the left leg.[2]
Bounding drills are excellent for building coordination and strength. Stand with feet hip-width apart and slightly bent knees. Jump as far as possible to the right, landing softly on your right foot. Immediately jump to the left side and land on your left foot. Continue alternating sides for 30-60 seconds.[2]
Elliptical sessions can be improved with interval training. This involves performing high-intensity workouts followed by recovery periods. Try 30 seconds of high-intensity exercise followed by 15 seconds of recovery. Then, perform 60 seconds of high-intensity exercise and 30 seconds of rest.[5]
Resistance changes can help target different muscle groups on the elliptical. Adjust the resistance and incline of the foot pedals to enhance your workout and build strength in various areas, including the quads, glutes, and hamstrings.[5]
Yoga exercises like glute and hip warm-ups and high lunge variations can improve flexibility and strength. From all fours, lift one leg and bend it halfway. Flex your ankle and keep your hips and shoulders even while you kick your foot up for 15 reps. Lift your raised leg out to the side while keeping your hips and shoulders even for 10-15 reps.[3]
In high lunge variations, inhale and reach your arms overhead in high lunge. Exhale and lower slightly and bend your back knee. Repeat this 8-10 times. Then, hinge your weight forward into Warrior III and tap your toes down before returning to upright. Repeat 3 times.[3]
Squats and leg lifts can be performed in low lunge. From a Low Lunge, bend your back leg so that your knee and lower leg are resting on the ground. Reach your arms forward and rise to standing while balancing on one leg. Repeat for 5–8 reps. Lift each leg for 10 pulses. Remember to always warm up before starting any workout and listen to your body to avoid overexertion.
[1] Chengkan Wang, Changsheng Li, Fulei Zhang, Xiaowei Duan, Jianfeng Xia, Jiaqi Zhang, Yunpeng Zeng, Zeng Mei, and Ke Pei (2013). Effects of lower body strength training and flexibility training on skiing skill. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 12 (3), 448-454.
[2] Johns Hopkins Medicine (2020). Skier's training: Building strength and endurance. Accessed at https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/skier-training-building-strength-and-endurance on 2021-06-27.
[3] Yoga Journal (2020). 18 yoga poses for skier's legs. Accessed at https://www.yogajournal.com/pose/skiers-legs on 2021-06-27.
[4] Selvendran, M., Kelly, R., Gupta, S., Zazulia, A., Johnson, S., Woods, A., & Youngsmith, B. (2016). `A randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of a yoga-based intervention in reducing fall risk;}\ American Journal of Geriatric Medicine. 66(5), 859-865.
[5] Sports Health (2016). Create a ski conditioning routine. Accessed at https://www.aahperd.org/amsponline/Pages/Article.aspx?articleid=1851688&source=umpdf on 2021-06-27.
While preparing for your ski trip, incorporating mental health tips into your routine can be equally beneficial. Mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing exercises, meditation, and journaling can help reduce stress and improve focus, enhancing your overall skiing experience. Moreover, maintaining a healthy lifestyle by including a balanced diet, adequate sleep, and regular low-impact workouts, like yoga and Pilates, can also positively impact your mental health. Other mental health practices, such as setting realistic goals, practicing gratitude, and seeking social support, can contribute to improved mental well-being, allowing you to enjoy your ski trip to the fullest.
