The Secret To Your Body Supporting Your Skiing – Flexibility

Even the most competent skier may feel aches, pains and tension after day one of their ski holiday. Certainly first time skiers will no doubt suffer aches in muscles they didn’t even know existed. So it’s vital you prepare yourself for the slopes and aim to get fit so you can enjoy your week in the mountains without your body letting you down. 

Flexibility in muscles and tendons is one of the key areas to focus on to ensure you can maintain good technique, avoid fatigue and more importantly avoid injury on the slopes. A jog around the park or a couple of trips to the gym the week before your holiday will not prepare you for 6 days of skiing. Remember, skiing will be much more fun and safer if you’re flexible and physically fit.

Last season we shared a series of ‘Get fit for skiing’ blogs, courtesy of Mark Zawadski, Director and Head Coach at Peak condition. Mark told us that 99% of amateur and pro skiers he has worked with have had significant flexibility issues that have a big impact upon their ability to ski to their best.

There are plenty of ways to increase flexibility with various stretches or regular yoga or Pilates classes. But before you embark on your mission to improve flexibility, how about a ski-specific flexibility self-assessment?

Mark has developed the flexibility self-assessment in order to help people identify and overcome their own flexibility issues. Sign up to get access to the assessment online, where you will see easy to follow videos and descriptions of how to assess yourself and what to do if the test is positive for a certain flexibility deficit. The fee for access to the flexibility self-assessment is £150.

If you’re keen to get fit for your next ski holiday, check back on our previous blog posts for a series of exercises to prepare you for the slopes. (Don’t be put off by the names, anyone can do them!)

1. The Bulgarian split squat

2. Swiss Ball Horse Stance Balance Roll

3. Single arm cable pull                 

4. Swiss ball lateral flexion

5. Cable wood chop kneeling on Swiss ball

If you’re interested in making the most of Mark’s expertise, he has offered all VIP customers a 10% discount off the self assessment. 

Watch this space as we’ll soon be sharing Mark's 4 month ski conditioning program.