(("Good skiing requires a stance that is forward on the skis. To get forward I bend at my ankles, my knees and my hips and my spine. Constant flexion in the spine although, creates pressure on the disc between my vertibraes. To releive that pressue, what I can do is take my hands and put them in the small of my back, fingers pointed in to my spine and actually bend backward. I want to have a nice hip width stance, keep my legs straight and hold this position for 5 seconds. This is a very good thing to do at the end of a run while you're waiting in a lift line, or waiting for your friends. Its great after a bump run or something stressful to the body, and its great at the end of the day to relieve that pressure. By relieving that pressure, my back will like me a heck of a lot more."))

(("Good mogul skiing involves more than just flexion and extension of the legs, it also involves the hips so that I don't jet out from the turns. To excercise the hips, I can utilize the equipment that I ahve on my feet. The weight of my skis, boots and bindings can help me in my hip. When I ski I want to pull my legs up. So I pull my leg up, doing 3 sets of hip flexors here, I will actually stregnthen those hip flexors. Then I can be pro active rather than reactive in the bumps. That way I'll be abvle to pull my hips, rather my legs, up to my hips and be much more in ski snow contact."))

[See Encoded Video for this Week's Ski Shape]

[See Encoded Video for this Week's Ski Shape]

(("People always ask what about carbohydrate drinks? Its okay, we have gluclose to replacce. Electrolyte drinks, we really don't need them. Those are for sports in which we sweat. What about alcohol? Alcohol is not so good, especially while skiing or after ski in the lodge when you're trying to recover at night. Its not so good becuase its a diaretic, it tends to eliminate our water. So water is still oru best bet. Its cheap, its natural, have fun skiing!"))

[See Encoded Video for this Week's "Ski Shape"]

(("Flexibility is an important component in fitness. Before we ski we should stretch out, not to increase the length of the muscles so much, but to loosen up the muscles. The popular things to do are , pick up on the back of the ski here, and just barely ,you shouldnt even barely feel it, stretch your hamstring muscle. If I were at home sitting down I would want to hold this for 20 seconds or more. And its going to feel a lot differrent. The next thing to do is the calf. I'm going to get forward in my boot and straighten my leg out. I'm going to hold it so I can barely feel it. Again, just loosening that muscle. Try not to make it hurt. If I was at home I could be against the wall and I would do the same thing but hold it alot longer. My whole goal would be a lot different. So those are good tips to do before we take off for a ski run.))

(("Fatigue is not only a safety issue, it can be a performance factor too. By the 10th or 12th bump when we're skiing, boy our legs start getting tired. We start to feel hot heat in our legs, our performance goes downhill and thats not a situation that is desireable. By going out and finding a nice gentle slope, I can go out and stress the muscular system. Maybe I missed the stregnth training room but now at least I can get my stregnth training while I'm skiing. I'm going to find a slope where I can go 15 turns, without too much buildup. And I'm going to go even farther, where I'm making 20-25 turns , looking for the heat in those legs. I'm going to build up the stregnth so that I can beomce a stronger skier. Have fun."))

(("ACL or Anterior Cruciate Ligaments are the most common ski injury today. They result from the ski going forward, while the athlete goes back, or the skier goes back. Some poeple suggest bindings could help. But bindings are so far removed from the knee, it doesn't really seem to be in the equation. Others suggest maybe strong legs will help. That can help, but won't solve the whole dilmena. Part of the mechanism is when a person goes back, the inside edge of the downhill ski catches and goes forward, that takes my lower leg forward while my upper leg sits back here. Thats what rips that connection. That ACL ligament there. One thing suggested by Vermont Safety Research is, as we're falling, go ahead thru the fall and try to get weight on the inside ski. One problem, if I stay on my downhill ski and I try to get up, then the knee goes. Hopefully that won't happen to you. Good Luck in your skiing and have fun!"))

(("Before we begin any run we should always warm up. We want to do that for several reasons. Our muscles will operate more mechanically efficient, we'll have better oxygen utilization, the nerves will function a lot faster, or a lot quicker making recovery, we have increased blood flow, we're going to be warmer, so lets look at a few ways in which to warm up. If I'm at the top of the slope I'm going to start at the top, loosening all the joints so I can rotate my head around. I can rotate my arms around, my shoulders, and I can get them going both ways. I can shake them around. Then the important part, my torso. I can put my pole behind my back and twist. Because when I ski, I twist quite a lot. You want to face down the hill. Then my legs. I want to get them moving in the hip region. So I can swing them back and forth. And then also from side to side, both directions. Then I want to bend the knees. Ok, now I think we're ready to go skiing. So always remember to warm up before." ))

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Ron Kipp US Ski Team: (("A prerequisite for safe enjoyable skiing, is general fitness: cardiovascular and muscle stregnth. A good way to get both of those is by circuit training. Circuit training combines strength training with some aerobics to keep your heart elevated. Remember, great skiing starts with fitness."))

Remember, great skiing starts with fitness!

(("Remember, great skiing starts with fitness."))

((" Remember, great skiing starts with fitness."))

(("Remember, great skiing starts with fitness."))