Yoga has lots of benefits for those who love to hit the snow. It can increase strength, flexibility and even balance - as well as helping prevent injury. Our classes this week focus on yoga poses for skiers and snowboarders, and here’s some ways practicing yoga can make you better on the slopes.
1. Yoga will give you a strong core
You’ll need a strong core for a good skiing or snowboarding posture. Keeping your core engaged, especially while skiing is important, as otherwise you will fold your upper body and put pressure on your back, making it harder to move and turn. The stronger your core, the easier you will find this. Yoga poses all require core strength, and you can practice poses such as plank and chair to give your core some extra strength before your skiing trip.
2. Yoga will help your focus
You need a strong focus if you’re skiing or snowboarding, but the same can also be said for when you hit the yoga mat. Practicing your focus for long stretches while you’re in your yoga flow can help you concentrate during snow sports too. Yoga helps to calm your mind, and when you’re focusing on your movements, everything else seems to melt away and you enter a meditative state - perfect for skiing or snowboarding.
3. Yoga can help you balance
A strong sense of balance is essential for snowboarders and skiers. If you have balance, you’ll have to use your muscles less, and you’ll ache less and reduce risk of injury. To improve your balance, try standing yoga poses such as Tree Pose, or practice your handstands - this will all help you stay on your skis on the snow.
4. Yoga helps your coordination
Keeping your body and muscles coordinated is essential in both skiing and yoga. You have to move your body in sync, which can be quite hard if you’re not used to it. Taking some time on the yoga mat to think about where your body goes in each pose can help improve your natural coordination, and help you keep your skiing posture.
5. Yoga improves your flexibility
Flexible muscles are key to helping your body move in cold temperatures. Cold weather can make you stiff and slow- not what you need when you’re boarding down the slopes! Twisting and stretching your body in yoga will stretch your muscles and increase your range of motion and flexibility. This makes it much safer to ski and snowboard, and greatly reduces the risk of injury.
6. Yoga can prevent injury
The best way yoga can make you a better skier and snowboarder is that it reduces the risk of injuries. If you’re not hitting the mountains that often, the physical intensity can shock your body, making it more susceptible to aches and injury. Yoga can make you fitter in general, which will help you with any physical sport. Yoga also helps to keep muscles such as your hamstrings strong and loose - these are the key muscles you use in skiing or snowboarding.
By Amy Cavill
Enjoy these yoga classes to make you better at skiing, now!
Après Ski Yoga with Denelle Numis
Avant Ski Yoga with Denelle Numis