Skiing Tips - Workouts to Prepare for the Ski Season
The Best Ski Conditioning Equipment
While the local gym might be able to provide you with some good ski-fitness equipment, keep in mind that traditional machine training is not always best for ski-conditioning. Simply put, machines are predictable, ski slopes are not. Fortunately, many of the popular balance-training tools are affordable. They can even be used in the privacy of your own home. Here are just a few:
The Stability Ball:
Aside from its affordability, one of the many great things about the stability ball is that its fluid rolling movements resemble the gliding actions of skiing. Additionally, the ball provides an excellent feedback system. If you are not in correct alignment, the ball will not move in a straight line. Check out the following ski-specific stability ball exercises:
Stability Ball Side Bend
Lateral stability is essential for good skiing. If your goal is to carve your turns, angulation and inclination must occur. In his book The Complete Encyclopedia of Skiing, Bob Barnes defines angulation as a sideways bending of the joint, used to control edge angle. Angulation begins in the ankles, and then follows through to the knees and hips. Inclination is the act of leaning into the turn, offsetting the effects of centrifugal force. Angulation involves getting onto the edges of your skis, while inclination is the balance mechanism that allows for this movement. Although the feet initiate angulation, the external obliques are responsible for enhancing the required lateral stability.
• Lie on your side with the stability ball under your waist and hips.
• Extend your legs and anchor feet against a wall.
• Cross your top leg in front of your bottom leg.
• Bend arms and place hands by ears. Drape your torso over the ball.
• Inhale to prepare.
• As you exhale, draw your navel towards your spine and lift torso in opposite direction, bringing side of ribcage to side of hips. Don’t let your pelvis roll forward or back on the ball.
• Return to starting position and repeat for nine more repetitions.
• Switch sides.
Photo: Stability Ball Side Bend
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