Bullet-Proof Knees
By Suzanne Nottingham
The key to your knees is to train for strenght, support, and balance.
Every skier and snowboarder has heard it more than once in their
life: "Bend your knees." That's particularly good advice for tense
beginners or intermediates who look rigid. But what appears to be "knee
bend" in experienced skiers and riders is actually a kind of functional
relaxation, something that becomes a habit in all good athletes because
of one important fact: Relaxing the knees facilitates balance.
Below are four exercises to develop knee strength, balance, and
quickness using apparatus found in most gyms. Add them to your usual
strength exercises before and during ski season. In preparation for
winter, don't ignore aerobic conditioning (try cycling or in-line
skating) or the flexibility provided by stretching.
- Fitness Ball Leg Curles: Lie on your
back with the ball under the calves. Roll the ball toward your heels
while lifting the pelvis; knees will bend. Keep your feet aligned with
the hips. Try one to three sets of 12 repetitions.
Focus:
to strengthen the hamstrings (one of the most under-conditioned muscle
groups) and body core. Your hamstrings are responsible for stabilizing
the knee joints if they strain their range of safe movement (about 3-5
degrees laterally). - Lunges On A Wobble Board: Stand with
your feet hips' width apart and step one foot forward onto the wobble
board so that the weight is on the heel. Lower and raise your center of
mass (hips), keeping the weight evenly distributed between the heel of
the front foot and the ball of the back foot while your upper body is
upright. Lowering and raising your hips several times on a wobble board
is challenging. So, first try one set of 12 repetitions on each side on
the ground. Then go for one set of 8-12 on both sides on the board.
Focus:
strengthens the lower back, hips, butt, and thighs. Be aware of the
knee moving too far inside or outside during each lunge; chances are,
the same thing is happening on skis or a board. - Single-Side Squat With Resitance Tube:
Put one end of the tube under one foot and hold the other end on your
hand. Standing on just that one leg, bend the knee to 30-60 degrees
during squats. (Professionals bend to 80-90 degrees as a test of
strength or dysfunction). Try one to three sets (depending on your
fitness level) of 15 repetitions on both sides.
Focus:
Supporting the body on one leg forces stabilization of the entire body.
This amount of flexing and extending is similar to the moving from
foot-to-foot action of both skiing and riding. - Squarts On A Bongo Board: First perfect
a squat on solid ground. Place your feet slightly wider that your hips,
toes pointing ahead. Lower your hips as though sitting in a chair,
keeping your weight centered over the arch and heel of your feet, your
head upright, and eyes focused straight ahead. Then, if you've never
been on a Bongo Board, get comfortable with it. Use it on a carpeted
area and have someone "spot" you while you try a few squats (the
spotter's hands should be close to your waist). As you get more
confident, change foot positions to simulate skiing and snowboarding
stances.
Focus: While squats alone will
strengthen your thigh-to-knee connection, adding the Bongo Board trains
your entire body for stabilization and balance.
Suzanne Nottingham is a fitness consultant
based in Mammoth Lakes, California. She serves on the Governor's Council
for Physical Fitness and is a part-time ski instructor at Mammoth
Mountain.