Sports training
Ski warm-up
No study has tested a ski warm-up, so this is our routine, built on the site's warm-up guide: raise your temperature, move the joints you're about to use, then rehearse the stance. Do it at the top of your first run, and again after a long lunch or a cold lift ride. Then make your first run an easy one.
Raise
- Standing march60 to 90 sBeginner · Hip flexors, Abs, Glutes · 3D demoKnees up, arms swinging; walking to the lift countsHarder: Standing band hip flexion
- Arm circles10 each wayBeginner · Shoulders, Back · 3D demoBig, easy circlesHarder: Shoulder CARs (controlled articular rotations)
Move
- Standing hip CARs3 slow circles each legBeginner · 3D demoHold your poles for balanceHarder: 90/90 hip lift-off
- Front-to-back leg swings8 each legBeginner · Hamstrings, Hip flexors · 3D demoFront-to-back swings, holding your polesHarder: Contract-relax hamstring stretch (PNF)
- Side-to-side leg swings8 each legBeginner · Adductors, Hip abductors · 3D demoSide-to-side swingsHarder: Wide-angle seated forward fold (Upavistha Konasana)
- Thoracic rotation5 each sideBeginner · 3D demoTurn from your ribsHarder: Reverse lunge with rotation
- Wrist circles10 each wayBeginner · Forearms · 3D demoSnowboarders especiallyHarder: Wrist flexor stretch
Rehearse
- Bodyweight squat8 to 10Beginner · Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings · 3D demoShallow, with your shins pressing into the boot tonguesEasier: Sit squat (partial squat)Harder: Dumbbell goblet squat
- Single-leg stand20 to 30 s each legBeginner · Hip abductors, Calves, Glutes · 3D demoHold your polesEasier: Tandem stance and heel-to-toe walkHarder: Single Leg Reach Matrix
- Side-stepping (sideways walking)10 steps each wayBeginner · Hip abductors, Glutes, Adductors · 3D demoAs if side-stepping up a slopeHarder: Lateral band walk
Tips
- Make your first run an easy one, on a slope you know.
- Keep any static stretch to under a minute per muscle, as the site's warm-up guide advises.
- Check your bindings are set and tested: in a trial, an instructional video that got skiers testing their bindings went with fewer injuries.
- Wear a helmet, and wrist guards if you snowboard.
- If you fall, keep your arms forward, don't land on your hand, and stay down until you've stopped sliding.
The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.
Guides that recommend it
Find more moves like these
More sports training
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Strength workout for cyclists (gym)
A 50-minute gym session for cyclists: heavy squats, one-leg presses, hip flexion and calf raises as in the cycling trials, plus jumps for bone.
50 minIntermediate13 movesCardio machine, A barbellQuestions people ask
How long does the ski warm-up take?
About 7 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.
What equipment do I need?
You need: A wall. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.
Is it suitable for beginners?
It is written for beginners. 2 of its 10 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.
How do I make it easier or harder?
Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.