Yoga for Skiers

Yoga is one of the healthiest activities to add to your routine. When skiing is your love, you must stretch your body enough to stay flexible. There are various poses of Yoga for Skiers that you can quickly adapt.

Yoga is effective at keeping you flexible and preventing serious injuries. With challenging activities like skiing, Yoga becomes your best friend. Before checking out different poses of Yoga, let’s understand why Yoga is essential for Skiers.

Yoga for Skiers

Yoga is one of the healthiest activities for building strength, stamina, concentration and balance. Skiers have a strenuous routine and a tough time during their skiing time.

Minor injuries are prevalent during skiing. However, there is also a greater risk of significant injuries. Yoga can help to prevent these injuries.

Not everyone will love skiing. It requires a strong heart, stamina, strength and intense focus. Injuring yourself is pretty easy while skiing.

However, Yoga reduces the chances of these injuries. Yoga increases your flexibility and concentration. It Improves your strength and posture. There are different types of Skiers, and both of them should indulge in Yoga.

Type of Skiers

There are two different types of Skiers. One of them is professionals. They love skiing, and skiing tracks are like their second hone.

The second type of Skiers is those who love skiing once in a while. They opt for skiing out of fun and little change in life. However, Yoga is still essential for both types of Skiers.

Once in a while Skiers

These people may indulge in skiing to get a taste of change in their routine. They occasionally indulge in skiing and are not a regular Skier. Their body has to adjust and acclimatise to intense weather.

Nothing is adaptable overnight. You have to work on it regularly. That’s why Yoga is essential for these Skiers. Performing Yoga before and after skiing will help to increase flexibility.

It also prevents their muscles from going stiff. It will also improve strength and focus. If you’re an occasional Skier, I would advice you to start Yoga before the skiing holiday.

Professional Skiers

These are the people who invest most of their time in skiing. They become professionals and experts at skiing. Their commitment level to skiing is commendable. Their experience helps them to pinpoint their weak points.

Knowing your weak point will help you to work better on these points. You can adopt Yoga poses that target your weak point. It will provide strength to your weak point. In no time, your weakness will turn into your best moments.

Yoga also acts as a break from a hectic routine. It creates a sense of freedom and balance in your life. It helps to improve your mental health and skiing performance.

Watch out for these points

As a Skier, your muscles are under great stress. Your quadriceps, hamstrings, hip flexor, biceps and other muscles are in constant use. Being constantly tight in these muscles can weaken your muscles and strain them.

If your core becomes weak, along with tightness in the quadriceps, it is a straight way to knee and ankle strain. This means every muscle of your body should get proper training.

Yoga Poses

There are hundreds of yoga poses, and you can easily pick one among them. Every pose has its benefits, like standing poses improve strength, balance and stamina. Breathing deeply is essential in every Yoga pose. Know many more benefits of yoga in pros of yoga and meditation.

Similarly, various poses are great for targeting different areas. That’s why you must redesign your Yoga routine while including different poses in it. Some of my personal favourite yoga poses for Skiers are as follows.

Standing Forward Bend – Uttanasana

This is a beginner-friendly pose and targets hamstrings and calves.

• Start by placing a Yoga mat and standing straight.
• Extend your arms directly over your head at this point.
• Then bend yourself forward until your hand touch the mat.
• Now keep your palms flat on the mat, having your fingertips in line with your toes.
• Keep this position for some time. Try to engage your quadriceps as much as you can.
• Move back to starting position while placing your hands on your hips.

Crescent Lunge – Anjaneyasana

This is a beginner-friendly pose, and it targets multiple muscles. These muscles include hip flexor, quadriceps, ankles, core balance, and spinal flexion.

• Start at one end of a Yoga mat. Stand straight and slowly bend forward.
• Now bring your one foot back and rest it on your Yoga mat.
• Bent your other knee and slowly raise your arms straight above your head.
• Now your one leg will be straight and at the back of the Yoga mat with the other knee bent.
• Keep this position and then repeat on the other side.

Mountain Pose – Tadasana

This pose is also beginner-friendly, and it targets posture and alignment.

• This pose looks like standing usually. However, it is an act of balancing.
• Take a Yoga mat and stand straight.
• Keep your feet together to make this even more challenging.
• Distribute weight evenly throughout your body.
• Straighten your back and rest your upper body weight on the pelvis.
• Broaden your shoulders, keeping them in line with your body.
• Focus on balancing and breathing smoothly.

Chair Pose – Utkatasana

It is a beginner-friendly pose. It targets the quadriceps, gluteus, calves, ankles, shoulders and upper back.

• Take a Yoga mat and stand straight.
• Now fold your knees until your thighs become parallel to the floor.
• Distance between your both knees must be equal to the distance between your feet.
• Raise your arms directly above your head gradually.
• Manage this position for some time and move back to starting position.

One-legged King Pigeon Pose – Eka Pada Rajakapotsa

This is an intermediate level Pose. It is a hip opener Pose.

• Start this pose with a Downward facing dog position.
• Take your right leg back on the mat and keep it straight.
• Lower your hip down on the mat and fold your left leg.
• Now your left leg will be bent like you’re normally sitting on the floor. In contrast, the right leg will be straight at the back of the mat.
• Raise your arms directly above your head gradually.
• Keep this position for a few moments and switch sides.

Conclusion

Skiing is a healthy activity. But looking out for injury and preventing it is essential. Yoga is beneficial, and various poses are adaptable. Mix and match poses to arrive at your ideal Yoga routine.