Post ski recovery exercises…

It can be tempting to get back from the slopes and crash straight onto the sofa, but by doing these short recovery exercises before and after you ski, you can greatly reduce your risk of injury, allowing you to keep making the most of your ski holiday.

Leg Swings:

Leg swings are great for stretching out your legs and glutes without too much effort.

1. Stand upright with one hand balancing against the wall

2. Swing your outside leg backwards and forwards, raising it high at the ends of the swing

3. Turn your opposite side to the wall and repeat with the other leg

Hip Openers:

Your hip joint receives a lot of pressure while skiing, especially when making sharp turns, so it is important to both warm it up and cool it down every day that you ski.

1. Stand upright with feet hip-width apart

2. Raise one knee up to be level with your hips, forming a 90-degree angle in front of you

3. Move your knee out to the side and downwards, then bring it back up to your hips forming a circle

4. Repeat this smooth circle at least 10 times before completing with the opposite knee

Neck Rolling:

Skiing requires a lot of concentration, and all that staring down the mountain can cause your neck to seize up. Neck rolling is a great way to release stress from the body, whilst also easing any tension out of your shoulders.

1. Find a comfortable place to sit with your shoulders upright

2. Tilt your head to the left until you start to feel a stretch

3. Bring your chin slowly towards your chest, following this movement round to your right shoulder

4. Lift your chin up, rolling your head back, before moving back over to your left

5. Repeat this circle a few times, switching direction to ensure you stretch fully

Prayer & Cobra Stretch:

Protecting your back is vital when doing any exercise, and it is just as important for skiing. Rough terrain can put a lot of pressure on your strain, and bad technique can damage your lower back, so at the end of the day we recommend the following stretch to help mitigate any back problems.

Prayer:

1. Lying face down, bring your knees underneath your chest in a tuck position

2. Resting back on your feet, push your arms out in front of you

3. Focus on bending over forwards and stretching out your back, hold for 30s

Cobra:

1. Lie on your front with your head raised up, arms bent at your side, hands on the floor

2. Gradually raise your whole chest upwards, pushing your pelvis into the floor to create a 75-degree angle between your back and your glutes

3. Look upwards and hold the position for 30s

Supine Spinal Twist:

As we mentioned in our pre-season fitness tips bulletin, having a strong core helps with those quick turns when skiing, so it is important to stretch out those abs at the end of the day.

1. Lie flat on your back, with your arms out to the sides, palms down, to form a T-pose

2. Bend your knees 

3. Bring your Knees over to the right side of your body, twisting your lower back and spine, turn your head to the opposite side

4. Hold and breathe for 30s

5. Return back to your original position and repeat with the other side.