Improving Hip Mobility

Why on Earth Do I need to Improve my  Hip and Lower Body Mobility?

Well, lots of reasons. But having mobile hips will essentially enable you to wangle round moguls with ease and reduce the amount of pressure placed on the knees and back.  The majority of people sit down everyday in their normal jobs and this can cause the muscles of the hips to tighten up and the glute muscle to become weak and inactive. This is caused by the the 90 degree leg position when sitting down that causes the hip flexors to continuously contract. In return the antagonistic (or opposite) muscles which are the glutes relax. This is why I recommend using a standing work station where possible-

Standing work station to reduce back/hip pain

For the lower limb muscles to work effectively (ie  to provide full power output, speed and create efficient angles) they need to work around a full range of motion and this means mobile joints. In other words, to maximise power and speed you need to improve and maintain joint mobility.

There are hundreds and hundreds of stretching and rolling techniques that you can use to improve mobility but here are a few that Ive been using recently and are recommended by http://www.defrancostraining.com/

1.Foam Roll the IT band (outside of thigh) -10-20 rolls - focus on tight spots
2. Foam Roll the adductors (inner thigh)-10-20 rolls- pay attention to tight areas
3.Glute/piriformis myofascial release (bum roll) - 1 minute each bum - feel the pain and repeat
4.Fire hydrant circles- 10 in each direction and each leg
5.Mountain Climbers - 20 repetitions
6. Hip Flexor Stretch- 30 seconds hold each side

For more detail about each of the stretches - http://www.defrancostraining.com/ask_joe/archives/ask_joe_08-10-03.html

The only bit of equipment you need to perform all of these stretches is a tennis ball (as you can use a tennis ball instead of a foam roller at a push).

Perform this routine 5-7 times a week which won't take much time out of your day and will improve your lower body mobility and how you move by leaps and bounds! Dont delay, start now! The sooner you start performing these stretches prior to your ski trip the greater the benefits you will get for your on and off piste performance!

3 Exercises to help conquer the slopes!

So you arrive at your first chair lift and have a nice leisurely ride up to the top. Taking in the panoramic views, enjoying the crisp fresh air instead of the polluted concrete land you’ve just arrived from, you start to get excited about the first run of the trip. You set off down the slope taking it easy, putting a few turns in and listening to the crunch of the compact snow beneath your skis. Picking up speed your ski legs kick into gear and you thankfully remember how to ski again! Reaching halfway down the slope at near terminal velocity  your legs feel skeletal and are in fact officially on FIRE!!!  The feeling of fire is insatiable and the burn only gets worse so you stop for a short break to put out the fire occurring in and around your new luminous ski pants and think to yourself...if only I’d prepared!

This is a common feeling and most people just turn up for their ski holiday with very little physical preparation hoping for the best. The result is that skiers burn out quickly, need more rest than they’d thought (thinking they’d be cruising the slopes non stop like James Bond) and ache more than they should have to. So for this blog I’m going to kick off with 3 exercises that I think will help improve your strength and endurance for your ski holiday.

The aim of these exercises are to target those muscles that are most commonly used in skiing, and to mimic the type of movements you perform when skiing. Obviously the best training for skiing is to ski! Not all of us have the advantage of growing up in the French Alps and whizzing down the slopes at 4 years of age or even to get to the snowdome 2 or 3 times a week. I'll Save the snowdome talk for another day. We want to improve your leg, core and back strength and endurance so you can ski down slopes with more confidence and less of that annoying leg burn so you can focus on your technique and most importantly- HAVING FUN!

Down to Business.

The first exercise is a lateral hop and modified wall sit complex. This is basically one exercise followed by another to make it that bit more difficult. With the lateral hops you want to be jumping from one foot to the other continuously (If you’ve got space and soft ground you can do this in ski boots)-just don’t do it on Mum’s kitchen floor! Bending down to absorb the impact and jumping to the side about 3-4 feet wide onto the other leg and repeat. This exercise is a way to mimic ski movements on non frosty land.

When finished go straight into the modified wall sit. Just your bum is in contact with the wall with your legs at a right angle and back off the wall in a ski-esque pose.  Hold for a maximum time, aiming for a minute and then longer.  Combine these two exercises together. For example 30 seconds of lateral hops followed by a maximum wall sit, then rest for a minute. Repeat this sequence 5-10 times or more or less depending on your requirements, to make it harder decrease the rest time and/or increase the time for lateral hops.

The next is the Plank for super core strength.  This is a great stabilisation exercise which predominantly improves abdominal and lower back muscular endurance which are important factors in skiing. Simply hold the position (be a plank, hips not too low or too high) for a maximum time then rest and repeat 3 times.  When you can reach 1 minute add some sort of weight – wear a weight vest, a pint of milk on your back( with lid on) or a small person.

Now for Squats, a simple but super effective exercise for quad, hamstring and bum strength. The aim is to keep your back as upright as possible, squatting directly down low and pushing back up all the way. Keep your knees in line with your toes and push through your heels. To start with aim for 10 repetitions with your bodyweight, when you can do this happily with good technique you can add weight. Using a barbell, dumbbell or kettlebell or anything for that matter, perform the squat from 3 to 10 repetitions for 5 sets and increase the weight where possible.

Bodyweight Squat

Weighted 'Goblet' Squat

Warm up for 5-10 minutes before the exercises to get you ready, anything from a fast walk to walking up and down the stairs will do. You can perform these exercises 2-3 times a week as far in advance as you can before your ski trip. Progressively increase the weight, time or intensity of the exercises to make them harder and to improve you strength and endurance. For example perform all in sequence – squats – lateral hops-wall sit-plank then rest and repeat.

The 2011/2012 ski season starts in less than 2 months! So what are you waiting for? Move that body and get ready for your ski trip!

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Getting ready for your Ski Holiday

View of cloudy La Tania in the 3 Valleys

As the weather gets colder in England and the autumn leaves start to fall, we don’t get sad, we start to get excited about the coming ski season! Which resort to go to this year? What jazzy new jacket can I buy? When shall we go? Vin chaud or Michelob ultra? These are some of the questions racing through any skier or boarders mind when thinking about planning a trip but very rarely do people start to think about how they’re going to get fit for their well earned week (or two for the very lucky) on the snow. Most people just expect to be able to ski all day for 6 days in a row with no form of exercise prior to their holiday. You wouldn’t run a marathon without any training (and even if you can, you’ll be feeling it after) so why would you not do any training for one of the most fun and physical of holidays! Getting fit for your ski holiday really will ensure you get the most for your money. Instead of barely being able to walk to the slopes on your second day, you’ll be zooming down past the ski schools on your last day wanting more!

Skiing and Snowboarding for me is primarily about being out in the mountain fresh air, enjoying the elements and having fun, but some preparation can go along way help to reduce your chances of injury and improve your performance on or off piste.  How far in advance you begin your preparations really depends on your current level of fitness and activity levels. If you don’t ever do any structured exercise or physical activity then it would probably be a good idea to start preparing up to 3 months in advance with low level simple exercises. If you’re a fitness God and exercise regularly then performing more specific Ski exercises up to 6 weeks in advance will help you to be at your best.  

The sooner you start the more time you’ll have to get your muscles and body working the way YOU want to down those black (or nursery) slopes! Keep posted for updates on the best exercises you can do at home or in the gym to get you ready for your winter trip.

3 Valleys Panorama