We strongly recommend that you always warm yourself up adequately before engaging in skiing activity.

Get your body warmed up and flexible enough to engage in a highly athletic activity. Make warming up and stretching a habit -- never start skiing without having gone through your routine.

Repeat each warm-up exercise at least 10 times or if stretching, move slowly and hold the position for at least 20 seconds. Work down from your head to your legs. Vary the exercises to suit you.

Do not stretch too hard and risk injury!

1. Walk around. To get your muscles warmed up before stretching.
2. Roll your head in a circle. Great for your neck and helps you relax.
3. Roll at the hips and twist your torso from side to side slowly. Your back needs to be warmed up and relaxed.
4. Bend to touch your toes. Hang your arms and head and slowly lower yourself, vertebra by vertebra to touch your toes. Gently release any tension in the back as you do so, by breathing out. Slowly right yourself in the same manner, but start from the base of the spine.
5. Swing your arms gently in a wide circle. Loosen up your upper body.
6. Quads Balance yourself on one ski, grasp a ski and pull it over your shoulder. Slowly pull the ski forward and feel the front of that leg stretching. Repeat with the other leg. Be careful not to hurt yourself!
7. Outer thigh With skis on, balance yourself with poles, swing one ski up in front of you and "plant" it vertically in the snow. Lean forward and feel the outside of your thigh stretch. Repeat with the other leg. Be careful not to hurt yourself!
8. Back of lower leg With both skis on, slide one leg back until you feel the stretch in the back of your leg. Repeat with the other leg. Be careful not to hurt yourself!
9. Inner thigh With both skis on, slide one leg radically to the side until you feel the stretch in the inner thigh. Repeat with the other leg. Be careful not to hurt yourself!

Print this out for future reference and remember to have fun!

[ Top of this page ] [ Back ] [ Next ]