Trainer » core exercise https://www.trainer.ae/articles Mon, 05 Jun 2023 14:10:31 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.39 What Muscles Are Used in Skiing? https://www.trainer.ae/articles/what-muscles-are-used-in-skiing-655 https://www.trainer.ae/articles/what-muscles-are-used-in-skiing-655#comments Tue, 09 Jun 2015 13:38:35 +0000 http://www.trainer.ae/articles/?p=655 read more »]]>

Skiing demands a series of complex interactions between your upper- and lower-body muscles and your central nervous system. These include balance, edging movements, adding pressure and rotational movement. Your central nervous system controls the sequence in which your muscles are used.

The Core

Your core muscles, which include your transverse abdominal muscles, your multifidus, your internal and external obliques and to some extent, your rectus abdominus help you maintain balance, which is the most essential skiing skill. These muscle groups work as a unit to stabilize your pelvis and spine, while maintaining an upright posture while moving down the slope.

Foot-and-Ankle

While your core muscles control ski-specific balance, your foot-and-ankle muscle group takes responsibility for the edging, pressure and rotational movements used in skiing. Your feet have intrinsic and extrinsic muscles. The intrinsic muscles include the plantar flexors, which point your toes toward the ground, and your dorsiflexors, which curl your toes toward your shins.

ski and snowboard

The Lower Leg

The extrinsic muscle groups used in skiing are in your lower leg, which is divided into three compartments. The anterior compartment, located in the shins, assists in dorsi flexion, whereas the posterior compartment, located in the calf, assists in plantar flexion. The lateral compartments hold particular importance, because they control eversion, which turns the sole of your foot outward. You perform eversion every time you put your skis on their edges.

Knee Flexors and Extensors

Flexion and extension, or bending and straightening of the leg controls pressure and helps absorb the ground-impact forces of alpine skiing. Your hamstrings, located in the backs of your legs, take on the important task of bending your knees. When your hamstrings perform properly, they protect your anterior cruciate ligament, a highly sensitive knee ligament that has a tendency to snap under pressure. Your quadriceps straighten your legs, stabilize your knee joint and prevent excess knee rotation.

The Gluteal Muscles

Your gluteal complex is the most powerful muscle group in the hip area, as well as one of the most essential muscle groups used in skiing. These muscles act as stabilizers and assist in flexion and extension. The gluteus medius, which attaches to the top of your outer thigh, abducts, or moves your leg away from the center of your body. Your gluteal muscles also assist in external leg rotation, which helps perform the rotary movements that steer your skis.

]]> https://www.trainer.ae/articles/what-muscles-are-used-in-skiing-655/feed 0 What Core Exercises Won’t Hurt My Back Or Neck? https://www.trainer.ae/articles/what-core-exercises-wont-hurt-my-back-or-neck-346 https://www.trainer.ae/articles/what-core-exercises-wont-hurt-my-back-or-neck-346#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2015 11:51:22 +0000 http://www.trainer.ae/articles/?p=346 read more »]]>

Moves That Allow You To Get Stronger Safelymain-backache

Certainly a tough one to answer because the back and neck are complex areas, so a number of potential problems could exist. That’s why it’s always best to consult with a doctor before starting an exercise program, to ensure that you don’t injure yourself. Working with a professional trainer can help ensure that you can stay actively fit without doing more damage to your body.

First, a quick lesson in functional anatomy: While your core muscles allow you to bend forward, arch backward and twist, they actually spend most of their time resisting these motions so you can hold a stable, upright position and protect your spine. It’s why crunches are not the best way to work your abs. You may be wondering why? Well, think about it, when you crunch, you create movement. Sure, your abs work, but not as hard as they could and not in the way they were designed to either. When you perform exercises where your core stabilizes your body,  you actually work your abs harder.

You might already be performing planks, but to train around your pain, embrace the concept of resisting movement to challenge your core with the following exercises.

Half-Kneeling One-Arm Cable Press

On one knee with your trunk upright, face away from a cable column machine. Set the cable handle to approximately shoulder height. Keeping the rest of your body stable, press the cable forward. Return to the start position. Perform 12 to 20 reps for two to three sets.

Half-Kneeling One-Arm Cable Row

On one knee with your trunk upright, face a cable column machine. Set the cable handle to approximately shoulder height. Keeping the rest of your body stable, pull the cable toward you. Perform 12 to 20 reps for two to three sets.

Tall Kneeling Anti-Rotation Press

Kneel on both knees, your trunk upright and a cable column machine to your right. Set the cable handle to approximately shoulder height. Hold the cable at that level, arms extended, and resist the rotational pull of the cable for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat for two to three sets on both sides.

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