Most skiers go straight from the parking lot to the chairlift and wonder why their legs are already sore by run three. A quick warm up before you leave the house can easily change your whole day on the snow, no matter how much preseason training you did, and fitness coach Alecia from WILDR has a six-minute routine that covers pretty much everything your body needs before dropping into your first run.
The routine is a flow-style circuit, meaning you move through all four exercises and then repeat them at your own pace. No equipment needed, just a little floor space and six minutes.
Starting with Plank Shifts will get your core going right away. From a plank position, press forward on your toes and then shift back so you feel a stretch through your calves. Four reps is all you need. Then 90/90 Kneel Ups open up your hips in a way that directly mimics the rotational demands of skiing. Sit with both knees bent to 90 degrees, kneel up, then flip your feet to the other side and repeat.
From there you move on to Figure Eights, a single-leg balance drill where you trace a figure eight pattern with your lifted foot, feeling your femur rotate in the hip socket. Four reps each direction, each leg. If your balance is feeling shaky here that’s exactly why you should be doing it before you get on snow.
Lastly, Drop Lunges train the explosive, reactive catching motion your legs need every time terrain changes under you. Think of it as the floor disappearing and you catching yourself in a split stance, without letting that back knee touch down.
One important note Alecia makes is to keep your muscles warm between finishing the routine and actually skiing. Keep the heat on in the car. Cold muscles tighten right back up fast.
