Helping turns - getting symmetrical

If you’re looking forward to your next alpine excursion but are dreading aching muscles that aren’t usually worked away from the slopes, then look no further. Thanks to Ski Academy expert, Warren Smith we have a schedule that will get you piste ready in no time. Working on the right muscles will not only help increase strength and power, but it can also give you a head start to improving your technique.

Jumping and landing in a good ski position with legs symmetrical is tough, demanding good lateral control of the inner-thigh muscles. Perfect the basic ski jump technique by jumping from left to right, (as Warren does above). This simulates both the athletic movement of short to medium radius turns and the technique you need to do them.

Top tips:
• Try to keep knees and feet hip width apart throughout each jump. Get a friend to film you so you can monitor how your legs look and get feedback.
• Check the difference to your leg position during take-off, in the air and landing and Warren’s picture. By seeing the difference you can understand where you are going wrong, correct the technique and understand the specific area of muscle control you need to work on.
• Once you’ve got the technique, aim to do three sessions a week each lasting 20 minutes. If you can keep it up you’ll find skiing symmetrically much easier.