Temperatures are dropping and snow is falling – ski season is just around the corner! Whether you’re hitting the bunny slopes or cruising down a black diamond, skiing is a wonderful fun sport that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
While it might look easy from the outside, downhill and cross-country skiing requires strength, endurance, power, and balance!
Skiing is one of those unique sports that uses movements and muscles most of us don’t use in our daily lives, as opposed to something like basketball, for example. Downhill skiing movement is performed in the frontal plane (side to side) whereas most of our everyday motions stay in the sagittal plane (front to back).
This is why we need to train lateral movements prior to getting on the ski slope! Training and strengthening your body for lateral movements is not only beneficial for being a better skier, but it can also help prevent injuries in the long run.
Body Dynamics, Inc. physical therapist Brianna is a former downhill skier and curated a set of exercises based on dry land practices with her coaches and teammates. These exercises will help get your legs (and lungs!) ready for the first run of the season!
Please note that some of these exercises are advanced. Feel free to try these with your fitness professionals at BDI if you want assistance with them!
Wall Sit Hold
Banded Ski Erg with Resistance Band
Lateral Shuffle Around Cones
Lateral Hops Over Cone
Bosu Squat – Advanced
Bosu Tuck Hold – Advanced
Lateral Box Jump – Advanced
We hope the exercises and stretches we have compiled will help you! If pain persists, we encourage you to seek an evaluation with one of our physical therapists.