As you already know, skiing has strength and endurance requirements, but at its core, skiing is a balance sport.  It’s all about balance in motion.  A high level of skiing requires an unbelievalbe sense of balance and equilibrium.  So, in this article, I’d like to focus on some ski exercise routines you can do to improve your agility and balance.

Think about all of the factors that have to be balanced both internally and externally as you speed down a mountain.  There are the external factors such as the steepness of the slope, the depth and density of the snow, the texture of the snow, and the visibility — of of what are varying from turn to turn.  And in order to ski through all those factors, you’ve got to be balanced on one ski for most of the time.  Furthermore, you have to guide your skis and feet left and right in order to regulate your speed and momentum.

Given all this, you can never get enough work on improving your balance.  When you practice balance exercises (either or or off the snow), you are training your brain to be more responsive!  Balancing yourself between forward and backwards is pretty easy since your foot is longer than it is wide.  The challenge in skiing is that you shift your weight from one ski to the other quickly.  Think about this.  If you are standing on a floor on two feet and then slowly shift your weight to one foot, it’s not too hard to balance.  But, when you jump to one foot and try to hold a balance before hopping back to the other foot, it’s much more difficult!

Olympic skiiers practice balance exercises every day, so if you’re going to be a good student of skiing, you should too!  Here are a few ski exercise routines to help you with your balance.

1.  The One Leg Balance Exercise

This is where we start.  This exercise will work the inside and the outside of your hips and thighs.  As you start to sway outward, you will contract your inside muscles.  As you start to sway inwards, you will contract your outside muscles.

Balance on your right foot as long as you can.  Time yourself on how long you can hold it.  Then, hop to your left foot and balance as long as you can.  Time yourself.  Repeat 5 times.

2.  Balancing On a Flexed Leg

This exercise is a bit more difficult.  It will work the same exercises as in exercise #1, but other muscles will come into play and you will be reacting to different stimuli.

Balance on your right foot.  Slowly lower your hips until your knee is at a 60 degree angle.  Your hips should lower 8 to 10 inches.  Now, raise yourself up and down for 15 seconds or until you lose your balance.  Switch over to your right foot and repeat.  Do this exercise at least 5 times.

3.  Balancing While Hopping

This is a more advanced balance exercise for skiers.  It will teach your brain just how quickly it must shift your body weight and how far it can shift it, too.

Start by balancing on your right foot.  Hold for at least 5 seconds or until you start to lose your balance.  Then, hop sideways approximately 6 inches to your left foot and hold.  Again, hold for at least 5 seconds or until you start to lose your balance and then hop back 6 inches to your right foot.  Continue hopping from one foot to the other starting with 6-inch hops, and working your way up to 24-inch hops back and forth.  Learn to hold each balance for 5 seconds.

Note: In this third ski exercise workout, if you don’t hop far enough outward, the muscles on the inside of your hips must work to pull you into the proper position.  On the other hand, if you shift your weight too much to the outside, your inner thight muscles must pull you back or you will fall outward.

The three exercises above will help you improve your agility and balance in preparation for hitting the ski slopes.  They’re great exercises to do at home while watching television or when you have about 15 minutes to concentrate on balance. Best of all, they are simple ski exercise routines that don’t require any extra equipment or even a trip to the gym!  Try them today!