If you enjoy the thrill of cascading over fresh powder and bumps or doing awesome jumps and other tricks, it’s important to be as prepared as possible physically. With exercise, pay particular attention to the muscle groups and parts of the body needed most to help you maintain proper form and technique and make the moves you want to make. Improve your ability to achieve these goals with the exercises discussed below by the pros at ASO Mammoth, your one-stop shop for gear, repairs, and ski rental. Mammoth skiers can rely on us for everything they need to make the most of their time on the mountain.
Lower-Body Exercises
The best exercises for skiing are ones that help with lower-body strength, agility, and flexibility. It’s more beneficial if you put together a lower-body routine that includes a combination of exercises. The main exercises that effectively target lower-body muscle groups include:
• Squats – Standard squats are done when you go from a standing to a seated position until your thighs are as close to the ground as possible. Keep your arms by your hips to maintain proper alignment.
• Calf raises – You’re basically just lifting your heels off the ground and lowering them again with calf raises. What this does is strengthen your ankle and calf muscles, which helps you make correct ankle and lower-leg movements as you ski.
Donkey kicks, split squats, and forward and reverse lunges target the same muscle groups and help with range of motion. Rowing and cycling and elliptical machine use are also effective ways to strengthen the lower-body muscle groups needed for skiing.
Lateral Hops to Increase Jump Strength
The purpose of this exercise is to increase stamina as you jump while skiing. With lateral hops, you’re turning slightly as you jump, but you’re not trying to jump as high as you can. You’re aiming to gain some agility and quickness with your motions as you jump.
Single-Leg Deadlifts
This is a body-stabilizing exercise that helps you maintain your stability as you jump or make the moves necessary for various tricks, twists, and turns. Single-leg deadlifts also improve symmetry so you’re getting sufficient support from both legs as you ski. Do single-leg deadlifts by:
• Standing upright
• Extending your hands as you slowly lean forward
• Leading with your chest as you slowly lift one leg backward
• Bending your other leg slightly to keep your balance
Yoga for Targeting Multiple Muscles
If you prefer a form of exercise that targets all the key muscles associated with skiing while also building strength and improving balance, consider yoga. It’s a versatile form of exercise that’s also beneficial because it plays a role in preventing injuries. Yoga counters the added stress and strain on lower-body muscles from skiing and minimizes issues with muscle tightness, which then minimizes your injury risk. The yoga moves that can be beneficial as you get ready for skiing include:
• Standing forward bend pose to loosen hamstrings
• Warrior pose to stimulate and strengthen hip flexors and hamstrings
• Chair pose to strengthen quadriceps and increase flexibility in this area
• Spinal twist pose to target lower back muscles
• Downward-facing dog pose to build core stability
If you need more advice on how to get physically prepared for a great skiing season, stop in and chat with the snow sports pros at ASO Mammoth. Whether they’re looking for the latest gear, top-notch repair, or Mammoth ski rentals, our customers come back again and again for our high-quality service and expert knowledge. Drop by when you’re on the mountain or give us a call at 760-965-3444.