Without a doubt you have noticed that some people can ski all day and still be full of energy, while others feel exhausted just after a few hours. Of course being in good shape helps, but it’s not the key. Proper body and ski alignment is critical for being able to enjoy the sport. Even skiers in good physical condition who still suffer after a day of skiing will benefit from getting this alignment right.
Postural alignment can improve your skiing ability by teaching you to regulate your center of balance. Once you learn the alignment techniques, you will use them unconsciously. Applying proper techniques will let you experience greater skiing control and feel more comfortable in your boots.
Most of us have limbs and joints which are somewhat out of alignment with the rest of our bodies. The degree of this misalignment has influence on the comfort level we experience while doing physical activities. In fact, skiing is likely to exaggerate any problems with alignment due to the rigidness the equipment imposes on your posture.
We unconsciously compensate for our misaligned bodies while walking and doing our daily activities. When we strap on a pair of skis, however, these problems come to the forefront. If skiing brings you pain and discomfort, body and ski alignment may be for you. You may also want to learn the proper alignment techniques if you want to bring your skiing ability to a new level.
How it works
When your hips are out of alignment, inappropriately tensed muscle groups attempt to compensate for it, resulting in misaligned limbs. This problem with hips is very common and it has the effect of dropping one leg lower than the other. The angle of the hips causes one leg to extend lower than the other, while there is no physical difference in leg lengths.
The muscle groups of the “longer” leg unconsciously tighten to make that leg “shorter” and compensate for this misalignment. These contracted muscles can produce a ripple effect by causing the muscles on one side of the back to contract throwing off your center of balance.
You can restore your natural sense of balance by relaxing the muscles and allowing the body to truly balance during body alignment sessions. Once you have experienced this feeling, the body naturally remembers the sensation and adopts the same stance.
Applying these principals to skiing you need to teach your body how to balance in the confinement of ski boots which is very unnatural. Once you have re-established your balance during the initial sessions, continue to practice wearing your ski boots.
Finding your center of balance while wearing ski boots is not as intuitive as with bare feet because the boots restrict your stance. While wearing your boots, you can get a therapist to work with you and help you find comfortable balance. This work can greatly improve your confidence and flexibility when on the slopes. Having a firm center of gravity allows you to balance more easily and recover from sudden movements faster.
Ski and body alignment sessions are suitable for all levels of skiers. People who have gone through them report that they experience less pain and that their skiing ability has improved.
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