Strength Exercises for Skiing

Skiing requires the ability to control poles and foot gear as you glide down a mountain at incredible speeds. Strength is needed in the arms and legs in order to control body weight movement at such high speeds and navigate terrain objects, as well as make turns. Exercises that help with strength training and development for skiing include squats, one-legged squats and the chest presses.

  1. Squats

    • Snow-skiers use their legs to control movement coming down the mountain. Leg strength is critical, as it helps maintain control of the rest of the body and takes the majority of the physical impact felt during this demanding cardiovascular exercise. Squat exercises help to build up leg strength to handle this challenge. Squats can be done without weights, using handheld dumbbells at your sides during the exercise or using a barbell across the top of the shoulders. Place feet shoulder-width apart and keep the back straight throughout the squat. This keeps the exercise focus on the leg muscles rather than straining the back muscles or pulling a neck muscle due to improper positioning. Squat exercises are done in sets of three, with repetitions of six. Proceed with caution about weight amounts selected, initially, to prevent injury.

    One-Legged Squat

    • Doing one-legged squats can help aid and strengthen skiers who might have to descend a slope using only one leg for some reason during the activity, needing to bear the body's weight on just one leg. Perform one-legged squat exercises by extending the unused leg out in front, as the leg beneath is lowered towards the floor. This will improve balance as well as strength. Extend your arms out in front of your body to avoid holding on to items during this exercise. However, when first attempting this challenging exercise to strengthen the legs, grasping the sturdy back of a chair placed on either side of the body offers support until you have mastered the art of balancing yourself on one leg.

    Chest Press

    • The chest press exercise can be done with dumbbells or a barbell. It strengthens the arms, chest and upper torso all at one time, with each lift of the weight. Alternating between dumbbells and a barbell allows for the same individual limb training as doing both the one-legged and regular squat exercises. The dumbbell enables strength building of each arm individually, while the barbell builds overall upper torso, chest and arm strength in one movement. Chest press exercises should be "spotted" (the term for another person standing nearby to assist) if heavy weights are used. Do three sets of six to eight repetitions using the barbell and at least one set of eight repetitions using the dumbbell for each arm. A flat or elevated bench will work for this exercise. For individuals just starting out using free weights or weight machine exercises, use a chest press exercise machine first, before free weight use, as this will help with learning proper exercise form, thus reducing the risk of injury.