Squats

Your thighs are probably the muscles that will work the most while skiing. A squat is one of the best and easiest exercises to build strength in your legs.

Here’s how to perform the squat:

• Stand with your legs straight and feet shoulder-width apart.
• Push your hips back.
• Bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• It’s like sitting down on a chair.
• Come back up by leaning on your full foot, not the tips.
• Continue to look straight ahead throughout the movement.
• Extend your arms in front of you to better maintain your balance.

Points of attention:

• Make sure your knees don’t extend past your toes as you descend. If you do, try to remedy that by pushing your hips back a little more and resting well on the heels.
• Keep your back tense and as straight as possible. Avoid a round back.

Quantity:

• 3 to 4 sets of 20 reps with 60 seconds rest between sets.

Progression:

• Want to make it a little harder? Perform the squats with a weight in each hand or on your shoulders.

Be sure to also try our FREE program to get fit in 4 minutes.