Preparations for the Slopes

Working on weak points

Hip flexors -

Getting ready for ski season, and what is one weak point that can build up over time in sedentary or sitting roles or lifestyles?

Hip flexors :these are big, and strong muscles that are comprised of the

• Psoas

• Iliacus muscles

Lumbar spine - The psoas muscle is very important, it attaches to the lumbar vertebrae (mostly lumbar 1-3) but also, the actual disc fibres themselves it blends with their outer rim, essentially joining with the disc tissue.

Hips and Sacroiliac joint - the psoas and iliacus muscles both cross the SI and hip joints. Impacting on pelvic stability and contributing to hip flexion, like bringing the knee up in running.

The problem

• Sitting: If you sit for long periods throughout the day, the psoas and iliacus muscles can chronically shorten. What this does is limit other movements, and weaken pelvic and lumbar stability and flexibility. Eg, when you go to stand up straight, the lumbar can get “bow-strung” by the hip flexors, leading to a swayback appearance, which then stoops the upper back forward to compensate and tilts the hips upwards.

• This creates weakness in the back and hips, and affects your whole body’s posture. Not to mention ton placing direct increase in tension on your lumbar spines discs!

What to do?

Chronically shortened muscles, like from sitting for long periods of time, respond well to exercises like yin style yoga (slow movements, long stretches for 3-10 minutes).

A direct stretch would be the lunge position stretch (see picture).

Other styles of exercises that assist short muscles, are eccentric type exercises (not John Cleese style), eg lowering the straight legs from 90 degrees to flat whilst doing an abdominal exercise

is an eccentric exercise for the hip flexors (see picture)

Well, that’s the most common, and under-attended too weak point that will set you up for injury this ski season. Apart from being unfit and hungover….