Flying to a snowy location for some outdoor fitness?
Getting ready to hit the slopes in transit is a great idea for keen skiers and snowboarders.You will want to move as much as possible to warm the body and prepare specific tissues for skiing/snowboarding.
Cat/Cow: Sit slightly forward in your seat and place your hands on your knees. As you inhale, arch your back and stick your bum out into the seat behind you. As you exhale, draw your abdominal muscles in, round your entire spine and look down towards your navel. Repeat these actions 8-10 times each.
In Flight Cow Pose
In Flight Cat Pose
2. Seated Hamstring Warm-Up: As best as you can, stretch your legs out under the seat in front of you. Sit tall in your seat as you inhale. As you exhale, keep your chin up, stick your bum out, and lean your chest forwards towards the seat in front of you until you feel a gentle tug in your hamstrings. Since the body is cold, you do not want to push this movement. As you inhale, sit back up and repeat the movements 8-10 times each.
Seated Hamstrings Stretch
3. Seated Hip Flexor Warm Up: Keep your left leg extended. Inhale. As you exhale, bend your right knee and draw it in to your chest, without the help of your hands if possible. Inhale and extend the right leg to meet the left. Repeat 8-10 times on each leg.
4. Seated Ankle and Calf Warm Up: Extend both legs under the seat in front of you. Sit up tall in your seat. Draw your toes towards your face as you flex your feet and then curl and point your toes as best you can. Repeat 25-50 times.
5. Seated Twist and Core Warm Up: ​​Sit tall in your seat and take a big breath in. As you exhale, turn your torso to the right, using the strength of your abdominals to assist. Inhale and return to centre. Exhale and repeat to the left. Repeat eight times to each side.
Seated Twist
6. Seated Upper Back Warm Up: Undo your seatbelt if it is safe to do so. Sit forward in your seat and interlace your fingers behind your back. Bend your elbows deeply and let your shoulders shrug up to your ears. As you exhale, reach your knuckles towards the seat, straightening your arms as much as you can with a tight core. Repeat eight times.
7. Side Body Stretch: ​​In your seat, inhale and reach your right arm straight up. Being mindful of your neighbor, exhale and lean to the left, keeping both sides or your body long. Inhale and return to centre. Repeat 6-8 times on each side.
Side Body Stretch
8. Seated IT Band Stretch: In your seat, extend your right leg under the seat in front of you and lift your heel off the floor. Inhale. As you did in the Seated Twist, exhale and rotate your torso to the right, keeping your right heel up and drawing your right toes towards your face – particularly your right pinky toe. Depending on your body, this stretch may feel intense or subtle, but it will lengthen the tissues that insert into the iliotibial tract (IT Band).
Now drink some water and hit the slopes!
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