Constantly practicing your athletic techniques leads to improvement. Because the weather is warm during the summer months, skiers have just a small window of opportunity to hone their skills. A training program that can be performed on dry land can aid downhill skiers who want to keep their coordination and balance in prime condition. These exercises also prevent injuries and improve skill levels.
Carving Exercises
Carving is a unique movement used in downhill skiing. Very few movements used on a daily basis require you to balance yourself on the little toe of one foot and the big toe of the other, according to Bosu.com. This movement requires a mix of coordination, flexibility and ankle strength. An exercise half-ball, which is called a Bosu, provides the correct surface for performing carving movements during the off-season. Place the Bosu on the floor with the dome facing upward. Stand atop the Bosu, and place your feet the width of your ski stance. Bend your legs at the knees while shifting your weight, and balance on the big toe of your right foot and the little toe of your left. Straighten your legs, flatten your feet and then repeat in the opposite direction. Perform 10 reps on each side daily. When you become comfortable with the movements, you can start to incorporate breathing coordination. As you extend your legs, take a deep breath in and then exhale when you put your feet to the edge and bend your knees.
Hamstring Curls
An imbalance of the quadriceps and hamstring muscle is detrimental to your skiing technique. The hamstrings bend the legs, while the quadriceps extend them. Both movements are extremely important in downhill skiing. According to Criticalbench.com, overactive quadriceps may cause your knees to hyper-extend, which causes your weight to shift to the tails of your skis. In that position, you have far less control over your movements. Performing a hamstring curl with a stability ball corrects this problem. Lay flat on your back with your feet propped up on the ball, hip width apart. Lift your vertebra off the floor until you have reached a bridge position. Straighten your legs while remaining in the bridge. Do three sets of eight reps.
Inline Skating
The body's movement while inline skating is one of the few that closely mimic the movements of downhill skiing. Special skates called street skis, also commonly referred to as urban carvers, use ski poles. The skates attach directly to your downhill skiing boots using special bindings, according to StreetSki.com. This technique involves using snow plow movements to stop yourself, and edging movements that are very similar to those of downhill skiing.
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