Downhill skiing involves almost all of the muscles in your body, but four muscle groups work the most: Your quadriceps, hamstrings, triceps and core muscles activate to keep your body in position and allow you to maneuver on the slope. Downhill skiing also is an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise and burns between 365 to 455 calories per hour for individuals weighing between 160 and 200 pounds, according to the MayoClinic.com.
Quadriceps
While skiing downhill, your body remains in a semi-squatted state so that you can remain balanced on the skis and increase your speed. To keep from squatting too far down or standing straight up, your quadriceps must actively hold your thighs in place. These muscles run across the front of your leg between your knee and hip. The location of your body above your legs as you ski requires your quadriceps to activate even more. Changing direction also requires subtle flexing and extending your knees, which requires your quadriceps to contract or relax, depending on the movement.
Hamstrings
Your hamstrings, which run across the back of your upper leg, must work in unison with your quadriceps to keep you balanced on the skis. Your hamstrings also assist with rotation of your knee, which alters how your feet are positioned on the slope. As you change directions, your hamstrings must active to help rotate your lower legs in the direction they need to go. Since your hamstrings are not normally used for this task, they can become very sore after skiing.
Triceps
From an upper body standpoint, your triceps are the most worked muscle during downhill skiing. These muscles run from your shoulder to your elbow on the backside of your arm; they are especially active at the start of your downhill ski run, but must contract if you use your ski poles or stocks to change direction. Your triceps are responsible for extension of your arm from a flexed state. When you strike the poles into the snow and ground, your triceps must contract and act upon the poles to propel your body forward. After the poles touch the ground and as you straighten your arms, the skis slide forward, creating momentum. This same triceps work is required as you strike your pole into the ground to assist with changing directions as well.
Core
Skiing requires you to maintain a particular semi-erect body posture throughout your run. Keeping your upper body at a 45-degree angle relative to your hips requires your erector spinae muscles, which run along your spine, to hold your body upright. Your transverse abdominus, which runs horizontally across your midsection, also keeps you braced upright. Raising and lowering your trunk to slow down or gain speed will require your rectus abdominus, or "six pack," muscles to contract. Finally, changing direction or performing any twisting movement during skiing will cause your obliques to contract. These muscles run along the sides of your waist. The collection of the muscles commonly is referred to as your core and must remain active during skiing to keep you balanced.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour; December 2009
- RiversideOnline.com: Prepare Yourself for Downhill Skiing Season
- Bodybuilding.com; Alphine Skiing Training; Peak Performance; December 2004
- Robert Vignoli; Why Skiers Need to Separate their Hamstrings; October 2010
- "National Geographic"; Bode Miller's Ski Training Exercises; Lindsay Yaw
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