Before you hit the slopes or the rink, properly warming up your muscles and joints is key for preventing injuries and enhancing your performance. That’s because winter sports, like skiing, ice skating and even snowboarding, not only require lower-body mobility but also call for balance.
“Most of the time, cold weather will make you stiffer. There’s not as much blood flow in your circulation as when you’re in a warmer climate,” says Zach Ray, DPT, SCS, founder of Live Athletics. “So it’s important to heat up your internal core temperature and activate the specific joints and muscles that are necessary for skiing or ice skating.”
Skiing and ice skating mainly use your quads, glutes and hamstrings. And when you hit bumps on a hill or are trying to break a fall while skating, your body needs to be able to absorb impact safely. You do this by activating your core and lower-body muscles, which will keep your knee and hip joints safe, Ray explains.
Follow this 10-minute mobility and balance workout to prep your muscles and joints for your favorite winter sports. Aim to do 1 to 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps per move.
