Have you got a ski trip coming up and are not feeling as fit as strong as you would like?
You wouldn’t want to quit halfway through your first day skiing because of sore legs or breathless lungs. Skiing is a sport which demands a lot from your body. You need great leg strength and endurance to be able support your legs and knees, you need great balance in order to twist and turn on one leg, you need to have good core strength to keep your body tight and in control and you need good cardio fitness so that your heart and lungs can keep up with your body. The following plan incorporates all of these specific needs of the skier in order for your to get the most out of your trip and avoid risk of injury.
Squat holds:
As mentioned previously having adequate leg strength and endurance is a must for all skiers. Skiers will spend a majority of their time in a position similar to a squat hold and therefore this exercise a no brainer for any preseason skiing program. Squad holds are a tried and tested method proven to improve the endurance of your leg muscles specifically the glutes and quads.
Lateral ski jump:
This power and balance exercise will prepare you for those rapid ski movements that you’ll need when navigating your way down the mountain. This exercise, works to improve the power of your quads, glutes and hamstrings.
Wood chop:
The wood chop is a common exercise which assists your body in trunk rotation movements. This exercise will help build core strength so you can initiate turns more effectively. Additionally, improving core strength will reduce the amount of strain on your back and thus will help prevent back injury and pain.
Lunge:
Skiing often requires significant single leg strength. The lunge is a great method of improving the strength of your single leg ski stance. his exercise specifically increases the strength of your quads, glutes and hamstrings. Improving the strength of your quads and hamstrings will significantly decrease the risk of knee injury.
Cycling:
Skiing is an exercise which places a high demand on the cardiovascular fitness of its participants. It is important to get the heart and lungs working before your trip. Cycling, whether its on a push bike at the park or a stationary bike at home or the gym, is a simple, fun and accessible way to incorporate cardio into your weekly routine. If cycling is not for you alternative cardio modalities include: walking, jogging and swimming.
Prepare for your next ski trip with Pivotal Motion
If you require a physiotherapist Brisbane to develop an skiing exercise plan, or just would like to find out more about yourself and what a talented everyday physiotherapy provider can do to help, get in touch. Feel free to call the Pivotal Motion Physiotherapy team on 07 3352 5116 or book online for a hand today!