Dynamic Stretching for the Mountain
The reason behind warming up is to prep your muscles by increasing your core temperature. Dynamic stretching uses your muscles in a sport specific way integrating the cardiovascular, neuromuscular, and muscular systems for different types of movement performed during your sport. It improves the range of motion around your joints, helping reduce the chances of injury while building intensity before your actual event to prepare the body for peak performance.
Try this dynamic winter warm-up before skiing and snowboarding:
Begin with Jumping Jacks 20-30 reps.
Lunge Rotation
Step forward with your left leg into a deep lunge. Extend both arms out to the sides. Rotate your torso to the left, lean back over your right leg, and try to touch your left fingertips to the ground. Hold for 5 seconds and then return to standing. Repeat, stepping forward with your right leg. Continue alternating sides until you've done 10 lunges on each leg.
Training tip: Keep your toes pointed forward during the entire movement. The rotation only happens at your waist.
Lunge Balance Extension
The next progression from a walking lunge is to add in a balance challenge. Begin by stepping your left leg forward into a lunge. Push off your back leg and bring it up in front of your body, bending your knee up toward your chest so that you're balancing on your left foot.
Without putting your foot down, hinge forward from your hips and extend your right leg out behind you, reaching your right arm forward (pictured). Return to standing and repeat on the other side. Do 5 on each side.
Training tip: Have a friend or trainer help you get your body as level as possible until you know what it feels like. It can be hard to tell since you can't see yourself.
Side Lunge Rotation
To warm up your inner-thigh muscles, step your right leg out into a side lunge. Place your left hand on the ground in front of you. Twist at the waist and extend your right arm as far up as you can. Return to the starting position and repeat on the left side. Do 10 reps on each side.
Training tip: Intensify the stretch by turning your head to look up at your hand at the top of the move.
Frogger Squat
This move is great for opening up your hips and stretching your glutes, shoulders, and lats. Place a stationary object like a step, yoga block, or core board directly in front of your toes. With your feet hip-width apart, lower into a deep squat. Place both hands lightly on the board. Keeping your left arm straight, extend it as high over your head as you can. Raise your right arm in similar fashion. With both arms raised, stand up, and then squat back down. Repeat 10 times.
Training tip: Squeeze your glutes as you stand and sit into the squat to make sure your butt, not your back, is doing the work.
Windshield Wipers
The last move in the dynamic warm-up mixes a little core work into the stretch. For a skier, their core is essential to staying stable throughout their quick movements.
Lie face up with your arms extended to each side. Lift both legs straight up over your hips. Keeping your legs pressed together as one unit, slowly lower them to the left as far as you can. Use your abdominal muscles to pull them back to center and then lower to the right.
Training tip: Your shoulders should not come off the ground during the entire movement. Only lower your legs as far as you can maintain control.