HEALTH & FITNESS

Easy Yoga for Snowsports - Leg Strength

Make the most of your slope time and remain injury free by using these exercises to balance the strength of all the muscles in the legs. Practising yoga also helps improve balance, agility and focus.

PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

Run through these postures before a day on the slopes to prepare your legs for action and help prevent injury.

Do it all

Ski Leg Strength 1 - Easy yoga for snowsports

The quadricep muscles at the front of the thighs work the hardest when skiing or snowboarding, but don’t ignore other leg muscles – to prevent joints being injured all their supporting muscles need to develop at the same rate.

This posture, Utkatasana (Chair), helps strengthen the quads, inner thighs, calves, hamstrings and bottom muscles.

Begin with feet hip distance apart and the outside edges of your feet parallel.

Bend knees and lift arms up above your head to create a prayer position with the hands.
Look at your hands, draw up the lower abdominal muscles and hold.
Continue holding the muscles while taking 10 slow, controlled breaths through your nose.

Boost the bottom

Ski Leg Strength 2 - Easy yoga for snowsports

Another reason all the leg muscles need to be strong for the slopes is to help stabilise the pelvis and protect knees, hips and lower back. The posture Virabhadrasana II (Warrior 2) strengthens bottom muscles and hamstrings, and lengthens inner thigh muscles.

Begin with feet leg length apart.
Imagine a clock face, with 12 o’clock in front of you.
Point the left foot towards 12 and the right foot towards 2 or 3.
Lift arms level with shoulders.
Bend right knee and look right.
Hold for 10 slow, controlled breaths then come up to standing and repeat on the other side.

Balance it out

Ski Leg Strength 3 - Easy yoga for snowsports

Perform the postures Talasana (Palm Tree) and Natarajanasana (Dancer) in succession. As well as strengthening all the leg muscles, Palm Tree helps you get used to the extra balancing of Dancer. Dancer also strengthens all the muscles of the supporting leg and stretches the quadriceps..

For Palm Tree (above left), begin with your feet under hips and rise up on to the balls of your feet.
Lift arms above your head, interlink the fingers and turn palms to face upwards.
Hold for 10 slow, controlled breaths, then move on to Dancer (above right).
Begin with feet under hips then transfer weight to the right foot.
Lift the left foot, draw the heel to your bottom and join the knees.
Lift the right arm above the head. n Hold for 10 slow, controlled breaths; repeat on the other side.