a perfect match
Skiing meets yoga
Many yoga enthusiasts love the mental and physical balance they experience from these exercises, as our Marketing Manager Stefan Taft learned from talking to Jessica Roß, an ambitious athlete and yogini. That gave him an idea: “Maybe yoga is just the thing for skiing enthusiasts as well!” Together, they combine Jessica’s yoga know-how and the skiing expertise of Maier Sports to create “Skiing meets yoga”, a guide to the 6 best yoga exercises for skiing fans.
Utkatasana (Chair Pose)
The chair pose is a great exercise for skiers. Start by standing with your legs hips-width apart, weight evenly distributed through your feet (Tadasana/Mountain Pose). Raise your arms above your head, palms facing each other. Bend your knees slightly, your feet under your pelvis, hips bent slightly forward and your chest straight. Lower the pelvis, as though you were sitting on a chair. You can now push your shins forward, as though you were pushing them against your ski boot shaft. Look straight ahead. Your palms are facing inwards.
The Chair Pose prepares you for the downhill skiing position with bent knees, strengthening the leg and buttock muscles, which support the knees.
Virabhadrasana III (Warrior III)
This asana resembles a standing scale. The starting position is the Mountain Pose. Raise your arms above your head, one leg leaves the floor and steps back into a high lunge position while the chest remains straight bending forward. Keep your spine straight and your leg, arms and head preferably parallel to the floor. Stay in this position for a few breaths and then repeat with the other leg. The Warrior III is a fantastic exercise for improving your balance and exercising the whole body.
It strengthens the abdomen, back, legs, shoulders and arms.
Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose)
Come out of the Mountain Pose and place both hands onto the floor. Take a wide lunge to the back with one leg. Followed by the second leg. Stretch your legs and arms out, with the heels trying to touch the ground. Raise your posterior as high as possible. It’s important to keep your back straight. Your arms and legs should form a line with your torso. Keep your gaze towards the floor.
The Downward Facing Dog strengthens the arms and wrists, lengthens the Achilles tendon, hamstrings and the lower back and stretches the shoulder blades.
Garudasana (Eagle Pose)
Starting in the Mountain Pose, bend your knees slightly and raise your right foot above the floor. Important: keep your back straight. Now place your right leg over your left leg and hook your foot behind your calf. Stretch your arms in front of you parallel to the floor, keeping your shoulder blades down. Cross your left arm over your right arm, bend both elbows and push your left arm further across the right top arm so that your left elbow lies in the crook of your right arm. Push your let thumb past your small right finger so that your right fingers lie in your left palm. Your knees are bent, underarms are parallel to the floor and your fingers are pointing towards the sky. Hold this position for about 30 seconds and then repeat on the opposite side.
This exercise stretches the area between the shoulder blades. The Eagle Pose opens the hips and strengthens the legs, especially the ankles and the calves.
Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
Starting in the Mountain Pose, place your left leg as far back as possible. Your right foot is facing forwards, legs are fully extended. Extend your arms out to the sides, keeping your shoulders relaxed. Bend your torso slowly to the right towards the front leg. Let your right arm touch the floor and rest next to your right foot. If you're not flexible enough, then you can hold your ankle with your hand. Extend your left arm towards the ceiling and turn your gaze to the top arm. It’s important to keep your back long and your hips perpendicular to the yoga mat. Don’t forget to do the other side.
The Triangle Pose strengthens the thigh muscles, increases flexibility in the hip joint, lengthens the back and stretches the hip muscles, thighs and calves.
Bharadvaja's Twist
This exercise requires some body awareness. You start seated on the floor with both legs extended in front of you. Bend both legs and bring them to the right. The right inner ankle is on the floor. Shift your weight to your right buttock and pull your right foot as close as possible to your buttocks. Then pull your left foot to the right thigh close to the hips. Inhale deeply and pull your chest up straight. While exhaling, twist your torso slowly to the left – only as far as you can without raising your right buttock. Grab your left foot with your left hand behind your back. Place your right hand on your left knee. Inhale deeply and every time you exhale you can twist your upper torso a little more. Don’t forget to repeat on the other side. This exercise increases flexibility in the hip and torso.
We would like to thank Yoga Studio Fox in Stuttgart-Vaihingen www.yogastudiofox.com
