Be Flexible -Yoga as a Training Tool for Skiers
Skiing involves energy, speed, adrenaline, and excitement as you down a mountain. On the other hand, yoga is calm, slow and thoughtful. Despite these apparent differences, yoga is used as a training skill for skiers. During skiing, strength, balance, flexibility, endurance and concentration are crucial, and yoga will help you work in each critical area.
Why is Yoga Beneficial to You?
As an athlete, incorporating yoga into your workout comes with several benefits. First, yoga is helpful to the body through improving digestion, respiration, posture and decreasing stress levels. Second, yoga can be practiced by individuals of any size or age and at any fitness level. More importantly, yoga is beneficial in preventing injuries because it works on flexibility.
The calmness around yoga will help you focus on your movements you ski. You can easily get carried away by nervousness and fear, which prevents proper decision making. Practicing yoga will help you keep calm as you glide down the mountain, and help you enjoy the moment.
How Imbalance Affects You as a Skier
Body imbalances easily occur during sports due to overutilization of individual parts and underutilization of others. Like other sports, skiing could easily cause body imbalances through an overdeveloped lower body, and hence an under-developed upper body.
Unfortunately, the inadequate exercise of the quadriceps, lower back, and glutes places pressure on the knees and easily cause injuries. Yoga evens out both inner and outer leg muscles to ensure that each muscle produces strength required for skiing
What Yoga Exercises Should I consider?
Chair Pose
This pose works the muscles of the hands and legs. While standing Tadasana, raise your arms perpendicular to the floor and inhale. Exhale and bend your knees trying to keep your thighs as parallel to the floor as possible. Stay in the chair pose for 30 seconds, inhale and straighten your knees. Exhale and release your arms to the sides.
Lunge
High Lunge
Move from Uttanasana, and inhale. Bend your left knee back on your mat, and balance yourself with the ball of your foot. Form a right angle with your right knee and let your torso lie on your thigh. Support yourself with your arms that are parallel to your right leg and exhale, before bringing your left leg back into position and switching the legs. This position will help you stretch your groin and strengthens your arms and legs.
Low Lunge.
On the other hand, you could try the low lunge. Start off with the downward-facing-dog, exhale and place your right foot in your hands. Align your right knee over the heel and then lower the left knee to the floor. Slide the left knee along the floor towards the back, and ensure you are comfortable. Inhale deeply, hold your torso upright and sweep your arms up towards the side until they are perpendicular to the floor.
Lift your head up to face up, and you stretch your pinkies towards the ceiling. Hold your breath for a minute and exhale as you move your head and arms down. Move your knee forward and practice the same pose with the right leg.
The Tree Pose
This pose is challenging and requires concentration and balance. Since skiing is even challenging using both feet, this posture becomes essential for your training. Stand on one leg and move your sole to the inner calf of the other leg. Keep your hands at your feet or over the head. While holding the tree pose, close your eyes to concentrate and meditate. After one minute, shift your weight to the other leg and repeat the procedure equally for both legs.
Happy Baby Pose
As the name suggests, this pose mimics a happy baby holding up its feet up in the air. To do this pose, lie on your back on a flat surface, exhale and bend your knees towards your belly. Inhale and grab your feet. Hold on to your feet and bend your knees further to bring each ankle above the knees and perpendicular to the floor. Create resistance by gently pushing your feet outwards, and holding them down with your hands.
Warrior Pose
Stand in Tadasana exhale and set your feet four feet apart. Raise your arms so that they are perpendicular to the floor and parallel to each other. Align your heels and turn your left foot 60 degrees from the right, and keep your right foot at 90 degrees. The goal is to stretch your left leg towards the back and bend the right leg so that your thigh is perpendicular to the floor.
Lift your ribcage away from the pelvis and keep your head in a neutral position. Hold the pose for about one minute. Inhale and come back to your original posture to repeat the pose with the other leg.
Conclusion
As a skier, including yoga in your daily routine, will help you improve balance, concentration, flexibility, strength, and endurance. Also, yoga will help you relax and enhance general body health in readiness for your next skiing expedition. With the help of your instructor, you can use yoga to avoid injuries and become a better skier.