There are many ways to enjoy winter in a snowy place, but cross-country skiing, also known as nordic skiing, may arguably be one of the greatest in terms of combining great exercise with beautiful scenery. Cross-country skiing provides a full-body workout involving upper body, leg and core strength, cardiovascular endurance, and balance. Additionally, cross-country skiing is a very low impact sport which makes it ideal for cross-training in the off season or as a way to enjoy the outdoors without significant stress to your joints.
Nordic skiing is associated with a relatively low incidence of injury compared to other winter sports, but can be associated with overuse injuries¹, particularly when starting out the season or increasing volumes of skiing, such as when taking a ski-oriented vacation. The most common of these injuries involve overuse stress injuries in the lower leg and achilles as well as low back strains. In order to avoid these problems, start training the muscle groups that face particularly high demand during cross-country skiing. Ideally, ramp up the training for 6-8 weeks before you dive into your activity for the winter.
So, before you dawn your cross country ski pants this winter, try out these exercises to get in shape before the snow falls! Here are our top 5 exercises for both skate and classic skiing to get ready for nordic skiing:
SKATE SKIING
Skate skiing is a similar motion to ice skating in that it involves lateral hip strength, single leg balance, and rotational core strength. The skate cross country ski boots are more stiff than classic boots, thus, pushing off through your heel is important to keep your momentum moving forward. Though classic skiing is the more traditional technique, if you find a nordic center near you, you can find a cross country ski rental that will likely offer skate ski setups as well. There is a steeper learning curve, but it is a fun challenge to take skiing to the next level with different cross country skiing equipment.
3-way Banded Taps : Lateral, Diagonal, Behind
- Start standing with a resistance band loop placed around your thighs, just above your knees
- Go into a mini-squat, sending you hips back and bending your knees slightly
- Shift your weight onto one foot, this leg will stay stable
- With the other leg tap out to the side, then tap back in by the planted foot
- Then tap out and back at a diagonal, then tap back in
- Tap out one more time straight back and bring it back in
- Repeat this series 8-10x, do 2-3 sets on each side
Lateral Skate Jumps
- Begin by standing on one leg in an athletic stance with your knee bent
- Jump out to the side and land on your opposite leg with your knee slightly bent
- Make sure to keep your weight in your heels, focusing on making your landings as soft as possible while maintaining control
- The goal is to stick your landing by engaging your muscles to stabilize on the landing leg
- Repeat this series 8-10 jumps per leg, 2-3 sets total
Side Plank + Abduction Lift
- Begin by lying on your side, resting on your forearm with your bottom leg bent at a 90 degree angle and your top leg straight
- Engage your core and lift your hips up off of the floor
- Then, raise your leg so it is at the same level as your hip
- Hold briefly, then relax and repeat
- Repeat this series 8-10x, do 2-3 sets on each side
- For added challenge: come up off your knee into a full side plank and repeat lifting and lowering your top leg
Lateral Lunge Abduction Sliders
- Begin in a standing upright position with a towel under one foot on a hardwood floor or with a furniture slider under one foot
- Slide the foot that is one the towel/furniture slider out to the side while bending the knee of the leg you are standing on, lowering your body into a side lunge position
- Return to the starting position and repeat
- Repeat this series 8-10x, do 2-3 sets on each side
- Tip: try to slide your foot directly lateral and not at a significant angle backwards to best reproduce the skate skiing motion. This will make you more efficient while skate skiing!
Split Stance Lunge With Diagonal Chops
- Begin in a lunge position, holding a band with both hands up to one side of your body
- Slowly pull the band and across your body in a diagonal movement, rotating your trunk, then slowly return to starting position and repeat
- Make sure to keep your arms straight at the top and bottom of the movement, and activate your core muscles as you rotate your trunk
- Fun fact: This is intended to mimic the V1 poling motion while you climb up hills
- Repeat this series 8-10x, do 2-3 sets on each side
CLASSIC
Classic skiing is known as the more traditional technique which draws similarities from walking, running, and bounding. Because the classic nordic ski boots have a free heel and flex in the toe box, it is important to emphasize calf strength and single leg stability to engage the cambered wax pocket in your skis (whether using fish scales or waxable skis).
Squat to heel raise
- Start with your hips shoulder width apart in an athletic stance with your knees bent into a squat position (hold onto something lightly if you need support for balance)
- Stand up out of the squat while simultaneously coming onto your toes by lifting your heels and engaging your calves
- Repeat this series 8-10x, do 2-3 sets on each side
- For added challenge: bring your legs into a split stance with one leg in front of the other, similar to a lunge position. From this position, lift heels up toward the ceiling in a calf raise motion
Single leg forward T
- Begin in a standing upright position with your hands resting at your waist
- Balancing on one leg, bend at your hips and slowly tilt your body forward while extending the other leg backward, then return to the starting position and repeat
- Make sure to keep your back straight, and don’t let your knee collapse inward during the exercise
- Repeat this series 8-10x, do 2-3 sets on each side
Runners March onto Step
- Begin in a standing upright position with a step or BOSU ball on the ground in front of you
- Place one foot on the center of the step or BOSU and slowly step up, raising your knee to a 90-degree angle and moving your opposite arm at the same time
- Hold briefly, then return to the starting position and repeat
- Make sure to maintain an upright posture and do not let the knee of your stance leg collapse inward during the exercise
- Repeat this series 8-10x, do 2-3 sets on each side
Double Pole Tricep Extension
- Begin in a standing upright position, with your arms bent and elbows tucked at your sides, holding each end of a resistance band that is anchored above your head
- Straighten your elbows by pulling against the resistance band while simultaneously providing a slight hinge at your waist with engaging your core
- Make sure to keep your elbows tucked at your sides and move your arms slowly
- Slowly bring your hips forward and arms up back to the starting position and repeat
- Repeat this series 8-10x, do 2-3 sets on each side
- Tip: To have the most efficient double poling position (say when on flatter terrain), it is important to move your hands with your hips in unison. Additionally, try to make sure your hands do not go past your thigh in the downward portion of double poling to maximize efficiency!
Dying Bug
- Begin lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor
- Tighten your abdominals, lift both legs to a 90 degree angle and your arms up toward the ceiling
- Slowly lower one arm overhead and you straighten your opposite leg at the same time
- Return to the starting position and repeat with your other arm and leg
- Repeat this series 8-10x, do 2-3 sets on each side
- Tip: try to keep your back flat on the floor/mat throughout the motion
For more tips and tricks, schedule an appointment with one of our knowledgeable therapists today: https://www.unionpt.com/schedule/
Authors
Kristen Vaughan is a physical therapist in Seattle at Union PT. She is also a co-founder of the Alpine Training Project.
Jessica Jortberg is a physical therapist in Seattle at Union PT. She was a former cross-country ski racer who competed at the national, international, and collegiate level.
For more information, schedule with one of our knowledgable physical therapists today.
References:
1. Worth SGA, Reid DA, Howard AB, Henry SM. INJURY INCIDENCE IN COMPETITIVE CROSS-COUNTRY SKIERS: A PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2019;14(2):237-252