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Still enjoy swooshing down slopes and cutting those carve turns in newly-pisted snow? The gentle stretching and strengthening of yin yoga is your way to prolong your skiing for years to come.
By gently stretching and releasing your connective tissues, yin yoga enhances your flexibility, allowing you to move with more fluidity and control while you attack those blues, reds and blacks. This flow concentrates on your knees, ankles, and hips, getting you in condition for whatever piste or weather conditions you encounter. Bring on the snow!
Ankle Stretch
One to three minutes
This pose strengthens your ankles, keeping your feet healthy in your ski boots. The more flexible your ankles are, the better you can steer and edge your skis, and the more fun you’ll get from a day on the slopes.
Counterpose: Downward Dog.
Dragon Pose
Dragon Pose stretches your hip flexors, making you more mobile on the moguls. Your hip flexors give you the ability to drive down slopes and absorb the forces on your body while taking the pressure off your lower back.
Counterpose: Child’s pose. Great for skiers as it stretches your lower back, which is particularly at risk when skiing. Also good for stretching the quads that get a hammering after a day on the piste.
Reclining Butterfly
This pose stretches your lower back and your hips, so important when you’re skiing all day long—or even until lunchtime.
Counterpose: Window Wipers. An excellent way to add movement in your legs and hips for carving.
Dangling
This pose helps loosen your hamstrings and stretch your spine and calves. All the things you need for the perfect piste performance.
Counterpose: Squat as far as you can for a minute or so to put pressure on your Achilles tendons, stretch your back, and open your hips, relieving tension and increasing your enjoyment for a day on skis.
Paul Steele is a copywriter, yin yoga teacher and author of the book Yin Yoga 50+ who lives in Malmö, Sweden. Paul teaches groups and individuals, often older people, who quickly see the benefits that this slow form of exercise brings, possibly prolonging a person’s life and probably enabling them to get much greater enjoyment from it. It is these benefits that Paul has a passion in sharing. https://www.yinyoga50.com
Yin Yoga 50+ is available on our website!