Even if skiing and yoga look like polar opposites, they are actually extremely complementary. Skiing and snowboarding are very dynamic sports that require strength, endurance, flexibility and balance—all of which are greatly improved through yoga. Yoga can also assist with post-skiing recovery, as well as injury prevention.
We asked Rose Martin, passionate skier and yoga instructor working with Bonne Santé, how to best incorporate yoga into our lives to improve our time on the slopes. The result is this quick 20-minute follow-along Yoga for Skiers video.
Why is yoga beneficial for skiers and snowboarders?
Strengthen your core
It may seem like gravity does most of the work, but skiing and snowboarding are physically demanding sports. Strong core muscles will also help stabilise your spine when making bending and twisting motions and will also take some pressure off of your knees, which may help prevent injuries.
Improve your balance
It’s pretty clear why balance important to skiing and snowboarding. Improved balance, through proprioception and strengthened stabilising muscles not only help prevent falls, they are the key to making quick, smooth turns, and mastering any tricky terrain or situations you might find yourself in on the slopes.
Increase your flexibility
Tight, stiff muscles will limit your range of motion and may increase your risk of injury.
Yoga helps build flexibility in all the key skiing muscles, like the quadriceps, hamstrings, and inner and outer thighs, leading to improved performance on the mountain.