After basic fitness and leg muscle development , it’s time to work on our core. Strong core muscles are incredibly helpful for skiing at a high level, such as moguls, giant slalom, and short turns. These are all skiing styles where body tension, and therefore core muscle engagement, is crucial. It’s high time to give it your all.
Full-body push-ups:
An exercise that works multiple core muscles simultaneously is the full-body push-up. Lie on your stomach with your forearms flat on the floor in front of you and all ten toes touching the ground. Now, tighten your abdominal muscles, lifting your upper body off the floor until you reach the familiar “plank” position. In this position, your forearms are at a 90-degree angle to your upper arms. Maintain a straight back by keeping your head, lower back, buttocks, and legs aligned. Try to hold the exercise for ten to twelve seconds before returning to your stomach.
Side Push-Up
The side push-up trains the core muscles on the sides of our upper body.
Lie on your side with one elbow on the floor. Place your other arm along your upper side and thigh. Stack both legs so that only your lower leg touches the floor. Now push your hip and upper body off the floor until your torso, glutes, and knees form a straight line. Hold this position for 10 to 12 seconds before lowering your hip back to the floor.
To make the exercises more challenging, you can lift your top leg 20 to 30 centimeters while keeping your body off the ground and then slowly lower it. Repeat this movement for 10 to 12 seconds while your hips and upper body are off the ground.
Perform these exercises with both the right and left sides.
Back and upper back stretch.
Lie flat on your stomach with your arms extended in front of your head. Lift your head and chest a few inches off the floor and then slowly lower. Repeat this movement 10 to 12 times before taking a break.
The number of repetitions of each exercise you perform depends on your muscle strength and fitness. As a baseline, you can start with 3 repetitions of 10 seconds each, followed by 10 seconds of rest. After three repetitions, move on to a short run or an exercise focused on your legs, for example. After this, you can incorporate another 3 repetitions of core exercises. Don’t forget to do a proper warm-up before your workouts.
Good luck and a fit start to your winter!
Photo: wellnesscarla.nl