Pilates for Snow Conditioning
Snow Bunnies – Listen Up!
While the weather in OZ is heating up, it’s about to start dumping snow in the Northern Hemisphere. With it now being a ritual for many Aussie to chase the pow pow in Japan and North America over the Christmas period, now is the time to start thinking about building strength and leg burning tolerance.
Having some preparation before hitting the slopes can avoid that day in, day out acclimatisation and go along way to a more enjoyable snow experience. Make the most of your active adventure holiday and get started with that preparation before you go.
KEY TIPS
❄️ 🏂 ❄️ ⛷️
KEY TIPS ❄️ 🏂 ❄️ ⛷️
Our key tips for the perfect snow holiday preparation:
Loading the legs and glutes
Core activation
Overall Balance and Stability
As you come down the mountain, your body position, in particularly your legs, are working and spend significant amounts of time in a near isometric or static position. Only slight adjustments in the bend of the ankles, knees and hips occurs, so it’s important to build up endurance to tolerate what ends up being a burning sensation due to the muscles moving and working to assist oxygen and blood flow through the body. Most exercises commonly performed at the gym or HIIT studios are often full body movements like squats, lunges, deadlifts and many variations of these focusing on a full range of motion. None of this is wrong, however, in snow conditioning, there needs to be a more specific and focused approach.
At Pilates & Co, our tips for Snow Conditioning include:
Spending longer periods under tension. Approximately 2+ minutes building to 5min at a time. Think of how long you ski or board for without a break. This not 10-15 reps of exercises it’s based on tension over a period of time.
Spending time in pulses and holds at multiple positions across all leg exercises mentioned above. Exercises performed as superset exercises from one position or angle to another.
Add balance and single leg jumping as well as hopping movements laterally to support your ability to turn, land and prepare the unstable nature of the terrain (and your ability).
The great part with the above tips, is these can be done using body weight primarily as this is most similar to being on the snow. Reformer Pilates is a perfect complement and training method to address and support the tips above. If you haven’t tried Reformer Pilates now is the time before you embark on your winter escape and begin to build resilience in your legs.
At Pilates & Co our top suggestions within the Studio would be:
Small Group Class
Join a Small Group Class (Max 3 People) and request some snow conditioning. We can replicate your ski or boarding burn like no tomorrow getting you stronger for the slopes!
Reformer FIT
Reformer FIT classes use a Jumpboard. Lying horizontally on the Reformer as you press and jump, which reduces the loading impact on joints when we move, but enhances the proprioception around landing, using single leg and building repeated power in the legs and core.
Group Reformer Class
Any Group Reformer Class will involve legs and core exercises and put you into positions whilst using the Reformer’s tension (and sometimes lack of it) to create this leg loading. The most effective thing about the Reformer is the ability to work the legs in different ranges, angles and often with pulses and holds to give in our opinion one of the closest conditioning exercises available to the everyday warriors wanting the best holiday on the snow.
So, Snow Bunnies, let’s get started!
Contact Pilates & Co for more help to tailor a plan in the coming weeks before the trip or get started with these tips and modify your home workouts to time under tension in different positions.