Ski runner in a blue and white-black racing suit drives a steep crest in crouch down with her arms in front of the body in the background and a black sponsor flag

Wintersport Equipment

Ski gymnastics

Elaborating your skiing technique:
Andrea Limbacher shows you the best exercises for even more stability and power on the slopes

Ski gymnastics: Andrea Limbacher shows you how to achieve even more balance on your skis

The Austrian ski racer Andrea Limbacher in the starting house at Ski Cross looks concentrated

No matter if in an extreme sloping position during a slalom race, at a tearing pace while going downhill, or during the smooth last minutes of your skiing tour: skiing and snowboarding require much stability in your torso and other parts of your body. Frequent skiing exercises help you in strengthening the most important muscles and having an even better balance on your skis.

We asked our winter sports expert and Skicross World Champion Andrea Limbacher to perform the exercises in front of the camera to help you learn them faster and correctly do them yourself. We start with the plank and will add one more exercise every week. There will be pictures and some explanations on the proper execution. Have fun trying!

Exercise 1: The plank

Since you know what “planking“ means, you should have a first idea about how to perform this exercise. Doing planks will help you train your upper body’s muscles as well as your arms and legs which makes it a perfect exercise for skiers and snowboarders.

In the starting position place your lower arms on the floor and bring your bottom and legs up so that you get into a flat planking position. As soon as you are able to easily stabilise you in this position, you can increase difficulty by bringing up an arm or a leg as well.

You can train your co-ordination and balance by simultaneously bringing up the right arm and the left leg or the left arm and the right leg. Pay special attention to your hip, which should be straight throughout the exercise.Perform the plank in four sets of 20 to 30 seconds each.

If you want to do it like Andrea Limbacher, you can stabilise and activate your back muscles with the Bauerfeind Sports Back Support.

Exercise 2: The side plank

With the side plank you train the gluteal and the abdominal muscles. To begin the exercise, lie down sideways on a fitness mat and prop yourself on your forearm. Put your other arm upwards into the air. Lift your hip up so that your body is almost completely stretched. Lift your upper leg and hold this position for 30-60 seconds. After that, lower your hip again slowly. Repeat the exercise once and continue by turning around to the other side of your body so that your abs get trained holistically.

Exercise 3: The tuck (position)

The tuck imitates the typical squatting position during a downhill ride. The main aim of this exercise is to strengthen the thigh muscles. Pay special attention to your knees, which should form a 90-degree angle and try to bring your elbows, shoulders, thighs, and the bottom as close together as possible. Keep this downhill position as long as you can, but for a minimum of 20 to 40 seconds. After each short break, you go back to the tuck position. Repeat this exercise three times.

Exercise 4: Tapping

Tapping means sprinting in place and helps to activate the leg muscles. It also trains the central nervous system and the ability to form motion patterns. That is why tapping is also an essential training element for sports with very short contact intervals and fast movements such as running. Execution: sprint in place as fast as you can for ten seconds and move your arms together with your legs. Repeat this 10-second sprint three times.

These products will help you with your next training session