Exercises For X-Country, Backcountry, and Alpine Skiers

-Make the most of your ski trip, do more of the thing you love- BETTER!-

-To help increase core, leg, and gluteal strength and stability while maximizing resistance to injury.-

-Complete these exercises 12 times apiece, 3 times through!-


  • Whether during the push of a X-Country ski kick, gliding while skate-skiing, or carving beautiful, fresh pow down the mountain- our legs, glutes, and core are working overtime keeping us upright and moving forward.

  • Targeted strengthening with these exercises 3-5 times per week can systematically increase both our resistance to injury, and our overall strength and performance in flatland, backcountry, and downhill skiing.

    By strengthening the muscles surrounding our joints and increasing our stability threshold, we can improve our resistance to injury by both     skiing in a more efficient manner, and being more able to keep ourselves upright.

  • Important note 1: These exercises are designed to be most effective when performed in a slow, controlled tempo. When utilizing step-downs, or when returning a foot to the ground, we want to resist gravity to maximize our benefit from the exercise

  • Important note 2: These exercises should be performed regularly for maximum benefit. Muscles, tendons, and stabilization systems take time to grow. Perform these exercises often, so that when you're out on the trails or slopes, you're ready!!

Good Morning

  1. Stand with shoulders back, chest proud, feet shoulder width apart

  2. Place hands behind head to open chest, head should not jut forward

  3. Allowing hips to travel back slightly, keep core tight to ensure back is straight

  4. Hinge forward at hips to first point of resistance

  5. Using Glutes and Hamstrings, slowly return to starting position and repeat.

Single Leg Side Squat

  1. Standing feet shoulder width apart, with soft bend in knees

  2. Shift weight onto right leg, allowing left leg to float out to side.

  3. Keeping core engaged and braced, slowly lower into a comfortable squat

  4. Floating foot may touch ground, but avoid placing weight on it.

  5. Slowly recover from squat, switch legs, repeat.

Lunge, Squat, Back Lunge

  1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, core braced, chest proud.

  2. Step forward into lunge with right foot.

  3. Recover from Lunge, and immediately enter squat position.

  4. Recover from squat position, and immediately enter back lunge.

  5. Recover from squat position, and switch legs. Break as necessary.

Quadruped Abduction

  1. Beginning position is hands and knees.

  2. Shift weight to Left knee, and keeping hips level, slowly lift right knee outward.

  3. Ensuring hips remain level during exercise, allow right knee to return to start.

  4. Switch legs and repeat.

  5. - NOTE- We aren't looking for how high we can lift our knee by twisting at the hips or torso. This exercise may not have a large range of motion, and targets the glutes.

Plank

  1. Beginning on the floor, with hands planted near ears.

  2. Bracing core, squeezing glutes, press the floor down and raise self up

  3. Hold Plank position for 15-20 seconds

  4. Slowly lower self back to ground, and repeat 4 times.

  5. Keep core braced, glutes squeezed, and hands/arms parallel.

This selection of 5 exercises will help activate and strengthen the muscles and stabilization systems we use while X-Country, Backcountry, and Downhill skiing.
If you'd like a custom exercise program, designed specifically to help you boost your personal performance, please reach out at Adam@WorthItHealthyLiving.com - I look forward to hearing from you!