🏔️ 5 Leg Exercises to Get You Ready for Ski Season This Winter
As the mountains start to call and ski season approaches, it’s time to get your legs ready to take on the slopes. Whether you’re carving through fresh powder or tackling moguls, strong and stable legs are key to performance and injury prevention. Here are five essential leg exercises that will help you build strength, endurance, and balance for your best ski season yet.
1. Squats
Muscles worked: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core
Squats are a skier’s best friend. They mimic the bent-knee stance you hold while skiing and build the strength and control you need to absorb bumps and maintain balance.
How to do them:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Lower your hips as if you’re sitting into a chair.
- Keep your chest tall and knees tracking over your toes.
- Return to standing.
Try: 3 sets of 10–15 reps. For an extra challenge, hold a dumbbell or add a pause at the bottom.
2. Lateral Lunges
Muscles worked: Inner and outer thighs, glutes, quads
Skiing isn’t just up and down—it’s side to side. Lateral lunges strengthen your adductors and abductors, improving control when shifting weight from one ski to the other.
How to do them:
- Stand tall with feet together.
- Step one leg out to the side, bend that knee, and push your hips back.
- Keep the other leg straight and your chest up.
- Push off to return to start, then switch sides.
Try: 3 sets of 8–10 reps per leg.
3. Bulgarian Split Squats
Muscles worked: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core stability
This single-leg movement challenges balance and mimics the uneven leg load that happens when skiing.
How to do them:
- Stand a few feet in front of a bench or step.
- Place one foot behind you on the bench.
- Lower your front knee toward the ground, keeping your torso upright.
- Press through your front heel to return to standing.
Try: 3 sets of 8–12 reps per leg.
4. Deadlifts (or Romanian Deadlifts)
Muscles worked: Hamstrings, glutes, lower back
Strong hamstrings help control your speed and protect your knees from strain—crucial for downhill stability.
How to do them:
- Hold dumbbells or a barbell in front of your thighs.
- Hinge at the hips, keeping your back flat and knees slightly bent.
- Lower the weights toward mid-shin level, then return to standing by driving your hips forward.
Try: 3 sets of 10–12 reps.
5. Wall Sits
Muscles worked: Quads, glutes, core endurance
This isometric exercise builds the leg endurance you need for long runs and challenging terrain.
How to do them:
- Lean against a wall with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Slide down until knees are bent at 90 degrees.
- Hold this position, keeping your core tight and shoulders relaxed.
Try: Hold for 30–60 seconds, rest, and repeat 3 times.
Bonus Tip:
Incorporate these exercises 2–3 times per week for the next 6–8 weeks before ski season. Pair your leg work with core and balance training for maximum benefit—and you’ll hit the slopes with confidence and strength.
Ready to get ski-season strong?
Book a session with one of our kinesiologists to create a customized pre-ski training program that fits your goals and helps you prevent injuries this winter.