It’s not just adults that need to get ski fit but kids do too! Here are some exercises that will help improve your family’s technique, strengthen weak areas and reduce the chances of you and your family injuring yourselves. Setting up circuit training stations is a great way to keep it fun, but don’t forget to do a warm up first followed by stretches.
Core Stability Exercises
Your core muscles consist of your stomach and back muscles. These muscles are constantly working to help you keep your balance, especially when skiing where you are constantly transitioning your weight on the skis.
Single leg bridges:
Lie on the floor with your knees bent and arms across your chest. Lift your hips up off the floor and then slowly raise and extend one leg whilst keeping your hips level. Hold for 5 seconds.
Superman:
Get into a four point kneeling position on your hands and knees. Keep your back still and extend one arm in front of you whilst extending the opposite leg behind you. Hold for 5 seconds.
Sitting on a gym ball:
Sit on a gym ball with your hips and knees at 90 degrees and feet shoulder width apart. Sit up straight, with arms outstretched, and pull in your lower tummy. Slowly lift one foot up off the floor and maintain balance. Make this harder by throwing and catching a ball.
Leg Strength
Skiing is an endurance sport and specifically uses the quadriceps (thigh muscles), gluteus maximus (buttocks) and the calves. If you start building up these muscle groups you’ll be able to stay on the slopes all day!
Wall slides:
Stand with your back against a wall and your feet slightly away from the wall, shoulder width apart. Slowly bend your knees to sink downwards and hold for 10 seconds. The lower you go the harder your muscles work. Be careful to avoid your knees coming together, they must stay apart.
Bunny hops:
Squat down to put your hands on the floor, then spring upwards and forwards.
Walking lunges:
Step forwards with one foot and bend the back leg until your knee almost touches the floor. Then push up and forwards to step the back leg forwards and bend down again.
Leg squeezes:
Sit with a ball between your knees and squeeze knees together and hold for 10 seconds.
Balance
Good dynamic balance is essential to help you to combat those steep and uneven pistes. As a skier, you constantly have to react to situations that will be challenging your balance. For example, changing the weight on your skis to turn, changing terrain, and change in friction on the piste.
Target jumps:
Tape a four-square pattern on the floor. Jump forwards, backwards and side to side quickly.
Single leg balance:
Stand on one leg on a wobble cushion or pillow.
Weaving:
Set up cones and weave in and out of the cones. Try timing yourself and aim to increase your speed each time.
Grapevine:
Take a step to the side then cross your other leg in front. Then take another step and cross the other leg behind. Repeat over a 10m length and try to complete as fast as you can.
It’s never to late to start getting ski fit. If your family is planning a ski holiday, then our physiotherapists can assess you and your family and provide you with a personalised exercise plan. Contact us today on 0207 884 0374 or email info@physiocomestoyou.com to book your first appointment.