Planes of Motion.
Are you properly training for your sport? Skiing requires great side to side motion. Snowboarding requires fluid forward to back motion as well as rotation in the upper body. It is important for injury prevention that you implement the demands of your sport into your training.
There are three main planes of motion:
Sagittal- forward and back
Frontal- moving laterally, or side to side
Transverse- rotating horizontally
Sagittal:
Snowboarding is all about transferring weight forward and back- from heels to toes and vice versa. Try this:
Alternating Forward Lunge
Step into a forward lunge and then back to center. Repeat on opposite leg. Focus on the weight shift of moving your body forward and then transferring back to a balanced position. 3 sets of 12 total.
Frontal:
Different than board sports, skiing is all about maintaining a neutral spine and moving the lower body from side to side. Try this:
Lateral Bounds
Start standing and then take off and move your body through the air to the right. Land on your right leg only. Balance. From your standing right leg, take off (think of an exploding motion) through the air towards your left, and land softly on your left leg. Balance. Repeat for 2 sets on 30 seconds.
Transverse Plane:
Training in this plane of motion is often overlooked. Rotating your body- hips and spine- for functional training is very beneficial because it mimics movements for many of our mountain sports such as moving through the air on skis or your board. When we train for the motions of our sport, we perform better and reduce our risk of injury. Sounds pretty great right?!
Here are MountainFit's favorite exercises to do in the transverse plane:
Reverse Lumberjacks
You can use a long resistance band in your home or a pulley machine at the gym. Start by facing parallel to where your band or pulley is anchored. Both hands start low by the hip closest to the weight/anchor. Good bend in your knees. Now, transfer weight and power from the inside foot to the outside leg as your extend your legs and rotate the weight diagonally up across you body. Control back down. Repeat 2 sets of 15 reps for each side
Lunge hold with med ball toss
Get into a deep luge position. Stand 3-6ft away from a wall- your front leg should be closest to the wall. Using a medicine ball (8-14lb depending on your strength and practice in the transverse plane), throw the ball to the wall using the power of your legs and the rotation from your hips, spine and arms. Absorb the load of the ball when you catch in by bending your knees and rotating away from the wall. 2 sets of 12-15 reps each side.
You can also do this exercise with a partner.
