Stretching & Conditioning
Stretching & Conditioning
Be Prepared for Winter Sports Season with Proper Conditioning
Ski season is officially here and hopefully your bodies have been sufficiently prepared during the off-season. Skiing and snowboarding is all about balance, so you need to focus on a whole chorus of muscles required to maintain control and stability.
Our anatomy is not typically built to have equal strength between the hamstrings and quads, and trouble begins when quad strength greatly outmatches the hamstrings. Eccentric exercises are a great way to prepare for ski season. This involves applying resistance to the muscle groups as they are allowed to lengthen. An example of this is a side plank with a quick lift but slow return, or a 1-legged dropsy from a bench or chair.
As you probably already know - lunges, squats and side lateral hops (think skater/log jumps) are highly relevant for ski conditioning because these motions are essentially the same as twisting and turning motions used while skiing down the mountain. Push-ups and chest presses do wonders for your low back, chest and arm strength, all of which factors into your ski form.
Your core is where much of your stabilizing power comes from. The following are just a few of the many core exercises that help to build your pillar of power: planks of any variety, hollow body exercises, sit-ups and leg lifts. Also try hip bridges with either a band around the outside of the thighs or a pillow between your knees to strengthen abductor/adductor muscles. Keep your core engaged (braced) and your breathing in sync for a safe and effective routine.
Stretching is also an essential part of conditioning for winter sports. The following are some tips to keep you limber and pain free.
MAJOR TIP - Stretching or mobilizing hip joints. Closed-Open. We spend too much time flexed (ski position/sitting). Open hip flexor with a variety of slightly different angles. Remember to keep outstretched leg straight and on ball of foot.
STRETCH - Hold each 25-30 seconds:
• Calves - Hands on wall, extended leg with heel on ground - Isometric hold 25-30 sec. Bring foot closer and bend the knee - hold.
• Quads - Hold wall, chair, heel to buttocks R & L.
• Hamstrings - Hands on bent knee, extend leg in front.
• Floor, glutes, low back - Curl into a ball with head and knees in. Pull knee into and hold - continue to hold and cross over (hip crossover)
• Tummy - press your torso upward, rest on forearms, press to palms if able.
• Forearms - straight arm hold hand down and hand upward.
While in ski/snowboard boots:
Squats: Stand on a flat surface. While fastened into the skis, place the inner rails together and slowly bend the knees, coming into a squatting position. Stand up and squat down several times to stretch and work the quadriceps. Replicate the different ski positions by squatting with skis touching and then performing squats with skis about shoulder-width apart. To engage the core muscles, perform the squat without the use of ski poles.
Hamstring stretch: Perform before you hit the slopes but after you get into your ski boots. This exercise can also be done on the mountain between runs to keep hamstrings stretched. With the insides of the skis touching, reach down and touch the outside of the ski boots, keeping both legs nearly straight. This stretch targets the hamstrings but also helps the body adjust for the extra height gained by the boots and skis. The extra height typically causes the body to have a slight lean, and stretching out the muscles slowly before getting on the slopes can help the body recognize the small change in the hamstrings.
Side-to-side walks: In the ski boots, take a small squat position so your knees are slightly bent. Without the use of your poles, step side to side. This motion activates the hip joints and the buttocks, as well as raises the heart rate.
Hip rotations: In the ski boots, take a small squat position so your knees are slightly bent. Keep both feet on the ground and shift your body weight to your left foot as your drive your hip to the left. Rotate side to side. Move the hips in circular motions to keep the hips loose and the low back engaged.
Upper body rotations: Stand feet hip width and arms loose. Turn to the left and then rotate arms and hips to the right. Swing the arms side to side. As you come to the center, bend and straighten your knees into a slight squat, warming up the quads and the upper body.
Side bends: Reach down the side of your leg towards your ski boot as your opposite elbow is bent and reaching the elbow towards the sky. This exercise warms up the obliques and the upper back muscles.
Demands on your body vary greatly depending on how long you plan to be on the hill. An important principle to remember is that you must be stronger than what the activity requires. A large amount of injuries occur to the fatigued skier who loses the ability to react to the terrain appropriately.
Don’t be daunted. A little bit of sweat both before and during the season will lead to your ability to enjoy your sport of choice.
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Kim Duke is a certified personal trainer and owner of Core Performance Fitness and Training, 55 Bristol Lane, Ellicottville, NY. Kim resides in Ellicottville where she raised her two sons, Zach and Nik. For more information about her studio, visit her Facebook (Core Performance Health and Fitness), Instagram (@cptcoreperformance), go to www.coreperformancefitness.com or call her directly at 716-698-1198.
