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Share your best fitness tip, pose, exercise, activity

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
It's a loooong off season -- at least it feels that way for many of us. So I thought I'd start a thread where we could share a tip, pose, exercise, or activity that leads to increased strength and flexibility -- not just for skiing, but for everyday life.

I do some yoga every morning, and one of my favorite moves is the pigeon pose. It's a great hip opener that stretches the hip flexors and increases outward rotation of the femur bone.

This isn't me, but it shows the pose:

pigeon-e1338738413918.jpg

Whatcha got?
 

Skier31

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I started doing pilates in 2003. I go two to three times a week in the summer and once a week in the winter. There are so many different variations of exercises and equipment. It has helped my posture, keeps me strong for skiing, biking and golf plus well defined muscles.

It is also mentally relaxing. It is the one thing I have stuck with over the years. It is a very efficient workout when time is limited.
 

VickiK

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Workout shoes with cushy padding proved to be better for me than the minimalist zero-drop styles. I got rid of shin splints and avoided new tweaks to my bum MCL by paying attention to my shoes and my workout surface. Losing some weight helped greatly too.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I do some yoga every morning, and one of my favorite moves is the pigeon pose. It's a great hip opener that stretches the hip flexors and increases outward rotation of the femur bone.

Hah! I f'ing hate pigeon pose. I find that people who think it's a great hip opener already have hips that are pretty open ;-)

I did find a variation that worked pretty well for me, where I rest my upper body on a bolster. But that was before the knee injury.


In contrast - I LOVE hot yoga classes. The heat wrings me out like a dishrag. It's wonderful. A lot of people can't stand it.
 

SkiBam

Angel Diva
Well, I do NOT have naturally open hips, but find that pigeon pose has helped them be somewhat more open. I think the trick is to go at it gently - don't feel you have to get your hip down to the floor immediately. You can benefit from the pose (and lots of others) if you just do them a bit.

I feel there's often a misconception among some people that to benefit from yoga you have to be super flexible from the start and able to do all the crazy contortions that you sometimes see. Not so at all. I'm a naturally very unflexible person (though better now than before I ever started yoga 20 or so years ago) and would not give up yoga for anything (even if you can only do it sitting on a chair). So I guess that means yoga would be my year-round go-to workout.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I feel there's often a misconception among some people that to benefit from yoga you have to be super flexible from the start and able to do all the crazy contortions that you sometimes see. Not so at all.

I don't have that misconception. But anything even approaching pigeon feels like someone is trying to separate my leg joint a la a cooked bird. Like I said, the bolster under the body (lengthwise following the torso) made a huge difference to me. But right now, I'm not able to use my knee like that, anyway.
 

luliski

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I discovered, last weekend hiking at Yosemite, that I am in terrible hiking shape. My exercise during ski season was all skiing or swimming, with a little running/cycling thrown in here and there. My goal for the summer is to strengthen my legs through cycling, hiking and running (if I can).
 

ski diva

Administrator
Staff member
I discovered, last weekend hiking at Yosemite, that I am in terrible hiking shape. My exercise during ski season was all skiing or swimming, with a little running/cycling thrown in here and there. My goal for the summer is to strengthen my legs through cycling, hiking and running (if I can).

I cycle a lot during the summer, and I always find it tough my first few times out. Skiing shape is not cycling shape. It takes a while to get back into it.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I cycle a lot during the summer, and I always find it tough my first few times out. Skiing shape is not cycling shape. It takes a while to get back into it.

Ski fitness courses will spend a lot of time with plyomtrics and explosive movements. Not coincidentally, the same exercises you do to guard your ligaments after a surgery.
 

luliski

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Ski fitness courses will spend a lot of time with plyomtrics and explosive movements. Not coincidentally, the same exercises you do to guard your ligaments after a surgery.
Yes, I went to ski camp when I was growing up, and one exercise I remember doing was squatting in place, then jumping up intermittently, and back into a squat. It was painful.
 

luliski

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I cycle a lot during the summer, and I always find it tough my first few times out. Skiing shape is not cycling shape. It takes a while to get back into it.
I have found, though, that I feel stronger skiing after a good cycling season with lots of miles and lots of climbing. I am in the process of getting back into cycling. I rode a few times during ski season, but not enough to have much cycling fitness. How many days a week do you typically ride?
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
For me, core strength is a big help for skiing. Especially in variable snow and with recovery (maybe those are two sides of the same coin)
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I find that competitive paddling has helped me during the summer with my core. Dragon Boat and SUP use the same technique which is mostly core. You're arms are levers that hold the paddle.

But our club house and docks are under water right now. Lake Ontario is about 3-4 FEET higher than it's ever been. So we haven't had the dragon boats out yet as we can't get to the club house. All roads in that area are barricaded. The yacht club isn't happy either.
 

luliski

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I find that competitive paddling has helped me during the summer with my core. Dragon Boat and SUP use the same technique which is mostly core. You're arms are levers that hold the paddle.

But our club house and docks are under water right now. Lake Ontario is about 3-4 FEET higher than it's ever been. So we haven't had the dragon boats out yet as we can't get to the club house. All roads in that area are barricaded. The yacht club isn't happy either.
I'd like to do more SUP this summer (have only done once). I love the water too, and the SUP was a good challenge and fun! By the way, my daughter is on the other side of Lake Ontario, in Rochester, NY. They've had some flooding near the lake too.
 

CarverJill

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I've been a big fan of group fitness classes since 2009 or so. I have been a member of two different local YMCA's since then and took classes there. Les Mills and MOSSA/Body Training Systems are the classes I have experienced and enjoyed most. They are professionally developed group fitness programs for health clubs (and now individuals who pay to stream). The ones I have enjoyed most were focused on weight lifting, kick boxing, and general sports but there are others as well. The workouts are an hour long, set to catchy music and lead by credentialed instructors. One of the things I like best is that you sort of meet people through the classes and those people somewhat hold you accountable for coming to class. I also really enjoy finding instructors I find motivating and fun. These days I go to about 3-5 classes a week at my local Y. Its so much more fun than working out on my own and I always am dripping sweat by the end of the class.
 

luliski

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I like group workouts too, although I do enjoy solo running and sometimes cycling. Swimming, I really only like with a group and a coach.
 

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