Get Ready for Ski Season with the Basics
Thanksgiving is here and the days are getting shorter. What does this mean? Ski season, Yahoooooo! It’s been a warm fall so let’s focus on a few strength progressions so that when the POW flies, our bodies are ready!
Below are a few exercises to tune up those hips and knees and prepare us for the gnar we have all been waiting for. Perform all of these exercises without shoes. These exercises are for everyone, so if the first exercise is too easy skip to the next for a challenge.
And as always if you are having a lot of pain, it’s time to seek professional help. Take care of it sooner than later so you don’t miss this season.
The Squat
A must do for skiing strength.
Easy- Sit to Stand
A great functional exercise that we do everyday. It also helps us learn to bend through the hips and knees with a nice safety net under our bum if you get fatigued.
Keep feet hip width apart, bend at your hips and reach back to tap your bottom on the chair and return to standing. Try 3 sets of 15.
More difficult- Wall Sit
Here we use the squat position to work on an isometric hold. This is a great exercise to improve your endurance while skiing. How long can you hold, 10 seconds, 30s, 2 minutes? Time yourself and try to have your knees bent at a 90 degree angle, work up to 2 minutes.
Hip Strength
Hip strength helps control and protect the knees from non contact injuries both on snow and off.
Easy- Clamshell
Place feet together and have your hips bent around 45 degrees and knees stacked. Raise your top leg and hold. You should feel this in your buttock muscles, not in your back or inside your thighs. Hold for 30s repeat 3 times on each side. Work up to a 1 minute hold.
More difficult- Lateral band Walks
Place a band around your ankles and walk 20 ft to the left and then to the right. Do not let your knees cave in. You should also feel this in your glutes or on the sides of your hips. Repeat 3-5 times, you can perform more if space is limited. Increase intensity by using a heavy resistance band
Balance
Balance and stability are important in any sport. They help reduce the risk of injury, and become exponentially more important as we age.
Easy- Single leg stance
Stand on one leg for 1 minute, stand up tall, do not lean.
More Difficult- Single leg deadlift
Stand on your left leg slightly bent at the knee. Bend or hinge at your hips keeping your back flat, eyes looking slightly forward. Return to standing upright. Try 3 sets of 12 each side. Still too easy? Add a 20lb kettlebell in one hand.
Conclusion
There are plenty of great exercises to get you fit for skiing or boarding, so feel to get creative! However, as a physical therapist, I can not stress the importance of form and the basics. If you have poor squat or deadlift form, the other “sexier” exercises are not going to be pretty. Hone in on the basics and make sure your balance is solid.
Strength + Balance = a head start to a healthy season.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to reach out with questions. Make this year your best season yet! And as always, THINK SNOW!
