5 valuable tips for a useful warm-up for skiing and snowboarding
Warming up before skiing or snowboarding is very important for an optimal ski day. We have to prepare the muscles and joints for the upcoming burden to reduce the risk of injuries. It’s tempting to start skiing right away, but investing a few minutes in a targeted warm-up can mean the difference between a normal day of skiing and a fantastic one.
In this post, we share five tips for a good warm-up.
1. Light exercises for the whole body
Whole-body exercises are very good to warm up, they increase the blood flow and get your circulation going. These include jumping jacks, arm-circles, squats and light walking on the stand.
If you are in a group, you can play small games (e.g. short races or catching each other). This will make the warm-up program much more fun.
With the help of these exercises, we feel our muscles are getting warmer and they become more flexible.
2. Mobilize the joints
Circular motions involving the wrists, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles are good warm-up exercises for both sports, skiing and snowboarding. They improve the mobility of our joints, which is important to prevent injuries.
3. Stretching
To increase the flexibility of our whole body, we need stretching exercises. When stretching, it’s best to start with the arms and legs. Don’t forget to stretch your hips and torso as well.
The most common stretching exercises are lunges, squats, and bending the hips and upper body in all directions.
4. Activate the core muscles
Strong core muscles are important in winter sports to maintain balance and improve stability. Exercises for the abdominal and back muscles, such as planks, crunches or back stretches, are recommended one to two months before skiing.
5. Start your ski day in flat terrain
In general, you should start every skiing day with a few easy descents in rather flat terrain. These runs help adjust to the current snow conditions. This „easy start“ should be seen as part of the daily warm-up.
Conclusion – Warm up before you have fun on the slopes
With a good warm-up program, we can optimally prepare for skiing, and minimize our risk of injury and it makes a significant contribution to a perfect skiing day that can be enjoyed.
Now we wish you nice skiing days and lots of fun on the slopes – see you in our ski area Hochzeiger!
