This week, we are focusing on the ankle. A lot of the problems that show up in our feet and our knees, are usually due to the fact that our ankles don’t move correctly. The moves below work on both dorsiflexion (toes towards the shin) and plantar flexion (toes pointed away from shin).
I threw in a bonus exercise for those of you that need some mobility laterally with your ankle movement.
Bonus Exercise!
All month long we are going to be focusing on keeping your joints happy and healthy (and hopefully, creak-free).
This first week, we are working on the lumbar spine. Need some mobility in that area? Try this first exercise to get it moving. Need some stability? Try the second exercise to turn on those low back stabilizers and give your spine some support. Want to have a healthy back? Do both. 😜
This week, we are all about the rotation. From the shoulder to the spine.
This spinal twist is perfect after any activity, not just skiing or snowboarding. It gives your spine a gentle twist while opening up the chest and hips. Plus, if feels amazing.
The shoulder exercise below, rounds out our shoulder strength for things like poling, falling, and pushing ourselves back up again.
We are moving away from the hips this week and out to our extremities.
After spending all day in our boots, our ankles can become lockdown and stiff. Try this first video to gain some range of motion in the ankle joint.
And it is not just our legs the need attention. Our upper body needs to be strong to help us with everything from poling to getting back up after we fall. Try the videos below (bonus video from Gerry) to get those arms and shoulders ready.
Last week , we worked on hip external rotation. This week, we are focused on hip internal rotation. Why all the focus on rotation? Because rotation is where we can access the stability and strength of the hip joint. Not only do our muscles need to be strong, but we also need to have stable joints so we can use the full capacity of our strength.
We can test out that strength and stability with the BONUS VIDEO from Gerry Halverson.
We are targeting the hips this week. Try out this external rotation stretch to open up the sides and back of the hips. Then, challenge your balance, core and hip strength with this dynamic version of a dipping bird. Also, check out our BONUS video from Koa Fit Trainer, Gerry Halverson, and head outdoors for some hip training.
For the month of November, we are getting you ready to hit the slopes. From strong cores to bullet-proof legs, we got you covered.
This week, we are starting with a challenging core exercise, because without trunk stability, the rest is lost.
As we close out October, we have one last last rotation for you. Check out this neck mobility exercise to help with your stiff or tired neck.
We are moving onto the spine this week. Start with the first video to get your mid and lower spine moving. Then, integrate that new mobility into a full-body move with the 2nd video.
We are moving on from our hips to our shoulders. Healthy shoulders contribute to healthy necks, backs, elbows, and wrists.
Sticky shoulder blades can lead to tweaks and pains in the shoulder. If your shoulder blades don’t move, you put a lot of stress and responsibility into the rotator cuff. Unglue those blades with this first joint rotation mobilization.
Once you have those blades moving, strengthen that rotation with this seated external rotation exercise.
Brenna Backe 