by Dr. Michelle Collie, DPT, MS, OCS
You get to the mountain, put on your skis or snowboard (and maybe your kids’ too). Hop right on the chairlift. Hop off, and head straight down a run. Now repeat!
But, let's take a moment before doing all of this. Before you get to the fun, you need to prepare your body for the day ahead, and you can do so with a dynamic warm-up. A dynamic warm-up will get the blood flowing in your legs, and get your joints moving, helping you to avoid an injury on the slopes.
Try out this three-minute “Swings, Squats and Lunges” dynamic warm up next time you’re on the mountain. And check out the video below!
Leg Swings | For each leg: 15 seconds front and back, 15 seconds left and right
Leg swings warm up the lower back, hips, glutes, hamstrings, quads, hip flexors, hip adductor, and abductors.
Loosen your legs and joints by doing some leg swings. Start with one leg and swing it front and back for 15 seconds. Then swing it left to right for 15 seconds. Switch legs and do the same for the other.
