Skiing and snow-boarding are both a highly active activity and form of exercise that people of all ages can enjoy. Unfortunately, it is not something that we can practice all year round and tends to be a long-awaited trip we take each year. This means our bodies are often unprepared for the strenuous work we ask of it during a week on the slopes, sometimes causing us significant pain and discomfort – whether it’s just a result of our efforts on the snow or of sustaining an injury.
Many people are starting to realise this and are taking steps to get ‘ski fit’. They do this by taking classes such as circuit-based classes. These classes are great in improving cardiovascular fitness. However, these types of classes often neglect our core muscles. Skiing and boarding demands a lot from these muscles, so it makes sense to prepare them in advance of going to the slopes.
Pilates is a fantastic way to do this, improving both strength, endurance and balance throughout your body from your core through to your arms & legs.
Having a flexible, strong and resilient core with give you greater control on the snow. This improved control and agility help you feel like movement is effortless when on your skis. Effortless movement requires less concentration as well as a reduced demand of your cardiovascular system. This reduction in fatigue allows you to be more alert on the snow, so less likely to fall as you get tired and distracted.
At goPhysio our Pilates classes are all lead by physiotherapists and sports therapists, all with a vast experience of rehabilitating around pain and injury. We have classes available from beginners through to advanced and we can adapt any exercise for you to work around any limitations you may have.
Here’s a couple of great Pilates exercises for you to practice if you’re off to the slopes this season.
Foot Series
- Stand with your feet hip width apart
- Bend your knee into a squat, keeping your chest upright and knees pointing over your toes
- From the squat position slowly rise up onto your toes (keeping the knees bent) then lower the heels
- Repeat 5 heel raises per squat, 10 times
Shoulder Bridge
- Lying on your back with your knees bent, with or without a resistance band round your knees
- Squeeze your bottom to lift your hips off the floor, keep resistance in the band if you’re using one
- Hold, keeping the pelvis level
- Lower then repeat
Clam Level 3
- Start in a natural standing position.
- Bend your right hip 45 and the knee to 90 degrees, keeping your legs a hip distance apart.
- Put your hands on your waist. Inhale to prepare.
- Exhale, rotate your right hip outwards, keeping your pelvis stable.
- Inhale, rotate your right hip back to the middle, keeping the pelvis stable.
- Repeat up to ten times on the right leg and then repeat on the opposite side.
Allow us to help you prepare for the slopes and to make your holiday as enjoyable as it should be. Take a look here for more information about our range of Pilates classes and flexible booking options.