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  • How to train yourself to be more flexible and balanced

    Posted by Jackie Semltd on 
    Tuesday, January 03, 2012
    Skiing is one of the sports that demand the most balance and flexibility from the people that practice them. If you truly want to excel at skiing and fully enjoy the sport, you will need to practice and develop your own skills in both flexibility and balance. Both of these skills are pretty fundamental when it comes to skiing and therefore, should be worked on as much as possible. Being flexible should help you to stay a lot safer out on the slopes. When you think of flexibility, you should try to remember what it really refers to. Flexibility is really just the ability that all of your muscle connective tissues have that allows them to extend without compressing your joints and actually injuring you. All of the tendons and ligaments all around your joints should be as flexible as possible if you really want to avoid injuries. Expert heliskiing

    There is an abundance of exercises that are all great for helping you to improve both your flexibility and your balance as well. Many of these exercises can be done from your own living room. The one leg squat and reach exercise helps you to improve both your skills of balance and of flexibility at the same time. It also should greatly affect your abdominal muscles and your gluteal muscles. In order to do this exercise correctly, you will need a small object that you can place in front of you. The object could be anything from a small can to a medicine ball, just use what you have access to. You should place the object on the floor about three feet ahead of you and just a little bit towards the left of where your foot is placed.

    Balance on this foot, keeping your right foot raised. Gradually bend your left knee, lowering your body as you do so. Extend your right hand and try to touch the object on the floor. To help you stay balanced, try extending your right leg. Make sure that your left knee always stays over your left foot. Once you have managed to touch the object, pause for a few seconds before returning to your starting position. Repeat this exercise approximately 10 times before taking a rest. Try to complete this regime a total of 4 times per day.

    Most gyms have a large, open area that comes complete with exercise mats and various pieces of equipment such as exercise bands. These bands are great for improving your balance and the strength of your core. Stand on your left leg and gently bend your knee. The aim of the exercise is to grip the band with your right hand, ensuring that your elbow is fully extended. Pull the band quickly towards you in a downward direction, maintaining control throughout the movement. Repeat this exercise 20 times before changing legs. Repeat this regime 4 times overall.

    Another piece of equipment that you can often find in the gym is the wobble board which can be used to enhance your physical balance. It is also great for improving your reflexes. There are numerous exercises that can be carried out whilst standing on a wobble board. The most common exercise is simply standing on the board and moving back and forth without allowing the sides to touch the ground. However, as the weeks progress and you start to notice real improvements in both your flexibility and balance, you can try to incorporate exercises with weights.

    Most gyms and fitness centres offer Pilates classes. This type of exercise can dramatically improve both your balance and your flexibility. It also increases the coordination and strength of the abdominal muscles and helps protect the muscles in the back against wear and tear. The classes focus upon flowing, natural movements that allow your muscles to lengthen, improving flexibility. Being forced to move slowly will also demand you to focus upon your balance. Extreme heliskiing

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