Getting Fit for Winter

Are you ready for ski season? A workout to get prepped and ready for the slopes. We all want to hit the slopes with confidence once the snow falls and now is a great time to get in shape with exercises that target the strength, flexibility and mobility you will need for epic powder days, long groomer runs in the sun, catching air and everything in between. This sequence combines yoga poses, plyometric moves and myofascial release techniques and is designed to help you navigate different terrain with grace have the best mountain experience possible.

Part 1: Yoga for Strength, Balance and Mobility
Moving and working the body in variety of ways is a great way to simulate the coordination and
adaptability we need on the mountain and yoga checks all the boxes. Yoga also allows us to
find a state of mindful awareness and connect the dots between whats happening in the body
and our mind at any given moment. This benefits our reaction time on the slopes and is what
allows us to find a flow state to preform our best.

Dynamic Chair Pose variation – Stand tall. Inhale and lift onto your toes and lift the
arms overhead. Exhale, plant the feet flat, bend the knees and sink the hips back like
you are sitting in a chair as you sweep the arms back with palms up. Inhale back to
stand and onto the toes, arms lifted into a full body extension. Repeat 5-10 times then
Hold Chair Pose, with your arms overhead for 5 additional breaths.

Focus: Strength
and stability, Dynamic breath with movement to expand mindfulness and the depth of
the pose.

Benefits: strengthens feet, strengthens the feet ankles, thighs, calves, and
spine. Hones balance and focus.

Crescent Lunge – Step back into a long lunge. Align the knee over the ankle and
squeeze the right heel and left toes together isometrically to stabilize. Inhale the arms
overhead for Crescent Lunge. Hold steady Repeat on the second side.

Focus: Strength
and stability, Dynamic breath with movement to expand mindfulness and the depth of
the pose.

Benefits: Strengthens thighs and opens hip flexors, chest , shoulders,
improves balance, body and breath awareness.

Challenge: Set the knee down to the
mat for 5 deep breaths to open your hips flexors and psoas.

Forearm Plank – Drop to hands and knees and place your forearms down on
the mat, elbows stacked under shoulders. Tuck your toes under, extend your legs back
and come into Plank on your forearms. Feel engagement of the core and full body from
shoulders to toes.Hold 10 breaths. Rest 5 breaths. Repeat 3 times

Focus: Core
engagement, Stability Benefits: stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and
arches, strengthens the arms and legs, and core, Calms the brain and helps relieve
stress and uplift.

Eagle Pose – Stand tall at the front of the mat and find a single point to
focus your gaze. Transfer your weight to your right foot. Softly bend the knees and
cross your
left thigh over the right hooking once or twice into Eagle Pose. Squeeze the legs
towards the midline and the navel to the spine. Sink the hips lower. Cross the left arm
under the right hooking at the elbows and at the wrists if accessible. Press the elbows
towards each othe. Bring your forearms perpendicular to the mat. Find 5 full breaths
and focus your gaze softly forward. Repeat on the second side.

Focus: Balance,
Coordination, Concentration Benefits: Stretches and strengthens ankles, calves, hips,
wrists and shoulders, releases tension between shoulder blades and across sacrum,
cultivates confidence and clarity.

Lizard Pose –
Step your right leg back into a lunge. Lower the back knee and walk the left foot to the
outer edge of your mat at a 45 degree angle. Flex the toes of the right foot
towards the shin. Open the right leg out to the side. Options stay on the palms or lower
the forearms to a block the mat. Hold for 10 deep breaths.

Focus: Release
for hip flexors, groins, hip opening from all directions.

Benefits: Release tension in the
hips, improve range of motion, flexibility and recovery. Opens and releases the chest,
shoulders and neck.

Add quad stretch – Plant the left hand down on the mat inside the front leg and bend
the left knee to bring your heel in towards the glutes. Reach back towards the lifted left
leg with the right hand and capture the top of the foot with the hand or a strap. Lean the
head and neck back in space, open the chest to the right. Repeat both poses on side
two.

Reclined Spinal Twist – Take a supine twist of your choice, 5-10 breaths each side.
Focus:
Clarity, Ease, Revitalization Focus: Lengthen the spine, Benefits: Lower back release,
Alignment, Toning, Cleansing, Stress Relief.
Legs up the Wall – Place your right hip next to the wall and then shimmy onto
you back to extend your legs up the wall. Stay for 10 or more breaths or more.

Focus:
Recovery, Rejuvenation, Relaxation Benefits: Helps flush lactic acid from sore legs and
feet, gently stretches the back legs, front torso, and the back of the neck, releases low
back, calms the mind.

Part 2: Plyometric drills for power and agility
Once you have established mobility and stability and warmed up with the yoga practice, you
can add Plyometric drills to improve your power and agility. Plyometrics are defined by the
Merriam-Webster Dictionary as : an exercise involving repeated rapid stretching and
contracting of muscles (as by jumping and rebounding) to increase muscle power. Plyometric
drills bring a high intensity component to your workout and are an efficient and effective way to
bring your skills to the next level. All of these exercises can be preformed in 3 sets of 20.

Jumping Jacks – Simple and effective. Just like junior high gym class.

Split Jumps – Start in a lunge, jump to switch sides. Alternate side to side.

Lateral Hops – Jump side to side with your feet together. Alternate side to side.

Plyometrics: Side Skaters – Start in a small squat. Jump sideways to the right, landing
on your right leg. Bring your right leg close to your left ankle, but don’t let it touch the
floor. Reverse direction by jumping to the left with your left leg to complete one rep.

Part 3: Myofascial Release
We are know about muscles, bones, organs but what exactly is fascia? Fascia is a type of
connective tissue that encapsulates our muscles, bones, internal organs and weaves a
continuous web of support and protection. Fascia is generally pliable and stretchy but overtime
it may become tight and restrictive. Myofascial Release targets these area of tension with
sustained pressure to create more space and mobility throughout the body. Foam Rollers and
Tennis balls or specific tools like Rad Rollers can by a great way to break up any fascial tension
and bring relief and balance to the body.

Feet and Ankles
Start by rolling the lower calf to the ankle, then the bottoms of the feet. Roll out the
bottoms of the feet with your tool of choice and allow the foot to move forward and
back in short movements like demonstrated in this video.
Forearms and Triceps
Come onto hand and knees. Place your forearm on the roller and move up and down
the forearms for as long as desired. Roll from the wrist the elbows and then from the
elbow to the shoulder to support wrist and elbow health and mobility.

Quads and Hamstrings
The Quads and Hamstrings control the movement of the hip and knee and tightness in
these muscles can effect the overall health of these joints and affect range of motion as
well. Roll the Quads in short movements up and down and then switch to the back of
the upper leg to open up the hamstring as shown here.

Hips
The hips are located at the center of the body and are involved in the majority of the
movements we do day to day including walking, skiing and snowboarding. The hip has
many different muscles so it is best to target areas that hold tension rather than a
specific muscle group. Take a trip around the hips to explore any tension that may be
present in the inner, outer and front and back side of the hips and glutes. Use this guide
for some great tips and tricks.