Stretching

[jackstraw]

i usually don't stretch before an activity, but i will typically stop and stretch during a ski after i have warmed up a little...i always do afterwards. that seems to work for me.

yoga is on my list of new things to do. i've started in the past and just haven't followed thru. i've got to believe it makes you feel pretty good all over.

 

[JimG.]

It could be because my skiing to date has been down easy to intermediate groomers, but I haven't yet run into situations where I've come close to pulling something...

Maybe some of the more experienced skiers can chime in on this -- which motions in skiing require a lot of flexibility? Not that it's not a good idea to stretch in any case...

Absorption/extention movements while bump skiing.
Hip angulation movements while carving turns.
Landing airs 10' or higher.

Those are the ones that come to mind.

 

[JimG.]

I've paid the price for not doing that...getting out of the car after the drive home is one of the more difficult parts of the day.

Word...that and putting the boots on.

 

[Greg]

Maybe some of the more experienced skiers can chime in on this -- which motions in skiing require a lot of flexibility?

Stetching is useful in case you want to throw down a mean old school spread eagle:

:lol:

 

[Marc]

I require good flexibility (although I don't have any, really) when I yard sale ass over tea kettle for sixty feet or so down a trail.

 

[ALLSKIING]

I require good flexibility (although I don't have any, really) when I yard sale ass over tea kettle for sixty feet or so down a trail.

Pics and Vid please..:razz:

 

[Marc]

Haha never!


No pictures or video of my crashes are one of a two pronged plan, the other being my possible insanity/schizophrenia, for plausible deniability that I ever have crashed while skiing.

:dunce:

 

[YardSaleDad]

No pictures or video of my crashes

NOTE TO SELF: Bring camcorder to next AZ outing with Marc.

 

[bigbog]

...

technically, you should warm up the muscles before you stretch. a short jog is often helpful, and then stretch the muscles once they are warmed up instead of "cold."

What a difference between just stretching in the early AM...versus stretching..and including a walk....especially with inclines! Not only does it feel like it gets the blood flowing;-), it really relaxes my leg and foot tendons...and helps me dial in on my overall balance, particularly on those 2nd or more days of consecutive skiing...

 

[jackstraw]

What a difference between just stretching in the early AM...versus stretching..and including a walk....especially with inclines! Not only does it feel like it gets the blood flowing;-), it really relaxes my leg and foot tendons...and helps me dial in on my overall balance, particularly on those 2nd or more days of consecutive skiing...

what Riv is saying is that your muscles should be warmed up with blood flowing thru them before you stretch them out. otherwise you risk injury to the muscle by overstretching a cold muscle.

this is old news to most athletes. it will most likely change in a few yrs after some prolonged study by a bunch of Dr's anyway.

like someone mentioned before...you need to listen to your own body and try to do whats best for you. i would add that personal research whether it be a ski mag or running mag or even this type of forum you can find bits and pieces of good info and then make that 'educated' -listening of ones body- even easier.

 

[Grassi21]

yoga is on my list of new things to do. i've started in the past and just haven't followed thru. i've got to believe it makes you feel pretty good all over.

Once you give Yoga a serious try you will not give it up. I have been practicing for a year and a half and the difference in my body is night and day. Take the occasional class and pick up a DVD to use at home. Besides the physical, I am in better shape mentally and emotionally. Yoga has done so much for me and has inspired me to become an instructor. Instructor training starts next month...

 

[tirolerpeter]

I try to take a warm up run or two, then stretch my leg and back muscles briefly.
For me a solid muscle stretching session is key after I'm done skiing, especially if I'm going to then get in a car for and hour or two.

I agree with JimG, but due to weather conditions and the hassle of packing up for the ride home, "post-skiing" stretching doesn't always happen. For those of us who are a "bit older" a couple of warm-up runs at the beginning of the day are very important. Once I get the muscles and blood moving, I can go all day and hang in there with just about anyone of any age.

 

[kbroderick]

My stretching before skiing is limited to getting my achilles tendon stretched a bit before I put my ski boots on, as I've found that the be necessary to keep my feet from cramping up. I *know* that I *should* actually warm up and stretch before going out on the hill, but I don't. Nor do I stretch after aerobic exercise (i.e. using a stationary bike or elliptical machine), which I should also do.

On the other hand, I do practice Yoga (albeit not as often as I'd like). I was attending class regularly during the winter, but now I'm making do with a DVD. I've been practicing on and off for a few years, and the flexibility improvement is noticeable. From a skiing perspective, I think the alignment improvements alone may be worth the effort.

Re: the earlier comments asking about why one would need flexibility to ski, my understanding is that a more flexible person can be more efficient in general. It's not just when you're pulling a Bode-esque move to avoid a tree that has jumped in front of you; it's also when you're trying to focus your energy on a particular movement. With that said, I've still got a ways to go...I maintain that "Simple Crossed-Legs With A Twist" pose is a misnomer, because there's no such thing as a simple crossed-legs pose with my hip (in)flexibility.

 

[Grassi21]

My stretching before skiing is limited to getting my achilles tendon stretched a bit before I put my ski boots on, as I've found that the be necessary to keep my feet from cramping up. I *know* that I *should* actually warm up and stretch before going out on the hill, but I don't. Nor do I stretch after aerobic exercise (i.e. using a stationary bike or elliptical machine), which I should also do.

On the other hand, I do practice Yoga (albeit not as often as I'd like). I was attending class regularly during the winter, but now I'm making do with a DVD. I've been practicing on and off for a few years, and the flexibility improvement is noticeable. From a skiing perspective, I think the alignment improvements alone may be worth the effort.

Re: the earlier comments asking about why one would need flexibility to ski, my understanding is that a more flexible person can be more efficient in general. It's not just when you're pulling a Bode-esque move to avoid a tree that has jumped in front of you; it's also when you're trying to focus your energy on a particular movement. With that said, I've still got a ways to go...I maintain that "Simple Crossed-Legs With A Twist" pose is a misnomer, because there's no such thing as a simple crossed-legs pose with my hip (in)flexibility.

Namaste