Three Ways to Warm up for a Full Day of Skiing

By Brooke Danielson

Whether you’re skiing in the backcountry, off-piste or on a casual groomer, skiing is fun and should be! Couple this zest for adventure with an established fitness base and your time on the slopes can exceed your expectations. There is a considerable amount of physical exertion in this sport no matter what your ability level. To avoid cutting your ski day short, it’s best to be prepared and get ahead of the game. Here are three ways to prep for the mountains, targeting glutes, core and legs:

Runner’s Stretch

Loge Peak Ski Shirt

You want to get your entire body involved and moving lightly before you head out, so start by reaching for your toes. Then Pull up your left leg and cross over your extended right. Bring your left knee towards your chest with the right arm and stretch out your IT band. Repeat on the opposite side. I love this move because it really helps me loosen up for the ski day.

Plank Holds

You might have to work your way up to this, but aim to do 30-second rotations on your forearms, left arm, right arm and then back to the forearm. It'll fire up your core, and it's easy to keep track of the rotations on a second timer.

Dynamic Stretching

Hold each side for one to two seconds and repeat up to 10 times. Take your time working through a back rotation: lift your arms overhead and reach side to side; twist your torso from left to right, and end with a pretzel stretch on the ground, where you're turning your head as far over your shoulders as you can.

Photos by Tony Prikryl for Aztech Mountain

See You On The Slopes!