Slope Exercises
It’s that time of year again; ski, snowboard and snowshoe season! Living in Auburn, we are just a quick one hour drive to North Lake Tahoe and several ski resorts. Strengthening your hamstrings, quadriceps, back and core can help prevent injury, aches and pains.
Listed below the video are a few exercises to get you going:
Step-Ups
Assists in strengthening the quads and glutes. Step-ups also help to increase your range of motion while incorporating balance and coordination, which are all necessary skills associated with slope sports. To perform this movement:
- Stand facing the step.
- Place left foot flat on top of the step.
- Right foot will remain on the floor.
- Engaging muscles in the left leg, exhale and push through the left foot propelling you up with the right foot to lift onto the step.
- Inhale as you lower down with the right foot, then the left.
- Perform 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions per foot, then switch legs.
Stability Ball Hamstring Curl
Assists in strengthening the hamstrings
- Begin laying on your back, palms down along your side, with legs extended and resting on the stability ball.
- Exhale as you lift hips into a shoulder bridge, engage glutes and begin to draw the ball toward your body by bending knees and holding your bridge position. Hold this position for a few seconds.
- Inhale as you extend the legs to the returning position. At this point, you may repeat the process without lowering the hips. If you’re just beginning, you may only be able to perform a few repositions before you are required to lower the hips back down to the mat. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
- If you master the above, try performing one leg at a time, bringing the other leg to a 90° angle or leaving it in tabletop, you will find it much more challenging on the hamstring muscle, and the core engagement required to keep the pelvis in a neutral position.
Superman
Assists in strengthening the back muscles
- Begin by lying on your stomach with your arms extended out in alignment with the shoulders and feet close together with shoelaces resting onto the floor or mat.
- Exhale as you tighten the core muscles; slowly lift your upper and lower body simultaneously. Keep neck in alignment with spine, shoulders away from the ears and ankles close together.
- Inhale as you lower down to the starting position. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
- Progress to a timed hold, beginning with 30 seconds or less and extending the time as the back becomes stronger.
Other exercises recommended are plank and side plank, both great to assist in strengthening the core system, which is vital for slope sports. Begin by holding for 30 seconds or less depending on your strength. As you get stronger, increase the length of the hold.