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4 Best Ski Exercises

Victoria Pitcher
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Short winter days can lead to reduced activity and fitness levels. Therefore it is important to condition your body so it is ready for a full week of skiing.

We have provided our four recommended exercises to ensure you can thoroughly enjoy your winter skiing adventure.

1: Squats and squat side jumps

Picture of James McCormack doing a Shallow Squat with Band exercise

An obvious choice seeing as you are pretty much in a squat all day when you are skiing. You can do squats in a wide range of styles, from a static wall sit, to dynamic squats, straight up and down or with a band around your knees.

Work on a range to keep things interesting, but be sure to include a side jump squat, which will test you in preparation for your days of slalom ahead. The squat works the quadriceps and glute muscles, as well as your hamstrings and the calf complex, so it is a great all-rounder and, rightly so top of the list.

2: Lunges

Picture of James McCormack doing a hip flexor stretch

The lunge is a squat variation, which works differently for each leg. The back leg gets a good stretch through the quadriceps as it works. This is great for preventing the quadriceps muscle from getting tight and shortened.

The forward leg works the gluteal muscle similarly to how doing a single-leg squat would. Lunges can be done in a forward straight line, out to the side or diagonally, walking or jumping, so mix things up to get the most out of it.

3: Half Plank & Front Plank

Picture of half plank exercise

If you have a strong core, you will be carving up the slopes with smooth and controlled turns. A great way to strengthen your core is by doing the plank exercise. Keep it varied to target more of your abdominal muscle.

You can do the standard, side planks and more dynamic rotating planks. Try holding a forward plank for 1 minute and repeating with a left side plank and then a right side plank. Progress by doing 3 repeats, then increase the time you can hold your planks.

4: Toe lifts

Picture of Banded Toe Lifts

The muscle along the front of your shin is the tibialis anterior and works to lift your toes towards your shin, so in the ski boot, it will keep you in contact with the front of the boot, which is important for better control.

Toe lifts can even be done sitting at your desk, alternately lifting your left and right foot and tapping back down, or if you are beyond this level, add resistance bands.

And don’t forget the cardio…

You will be skiing most of the day, and most of us do not exercise most of the day the rest of the year. So, you will need to be fit with your cardiovascular system to have the endurance to ski to your heart’s content!

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We are specialists in treating foot conditions such as calf muscle tears, and you can see one of our Knee Specialists in our clinic in Fulham, South West London. 

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