Balance exercises

Get Doug Garfield's book, Steady Ski. It's helped me tremendously; I
work it into my strength workouts and other times, like when I'm
standing in line for a latte at Starbucks.

chris
ne iowa

BeeCharmer wrote:
Get Doug Garfield's book, Steady Ski. It's helped me tremendously; I
work it into my strength workouts and other times, like when I'm
standing in line for a latte at Starbucks.

chris
ne iowa

Is that like Kegeling at stop lights?

I don't have a dryland routine for balance but everytime I ski I make
it a point to do 5-10 minutes with no poles, classic and skating.
If I am on a consistent surface I do some Russian Skates as well;
poling twice then three and ultimately four times on each side. On a
smooth pond this works out to be a 50' glide with each skate.

Nothing beats rollerskiing for improving ski balance.

You can also get all sorts of physical therapy balance toys that you can
use at random times during a normal day.

-Nathan
www.nsavage.com

wrote in message
...

I finally had a good skating lesson yesterday.

It seems, unsurprisingly, given my genetics, that
balance is my main issue. I have to pole too quickly
to maintain balance.

My instructor gave me some good exercises to do on
snow, but I only spend 6-7 hours a week on the snow,
and will only want to devote at most 1/3rd of my time
to the exercises.

Are there useful dryland exercises that help train balance?
If so, where can I find out how to do them.

Thanks in advance,


--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in rec.skiing.nordic...)

When I was in p.t. last summer for a knee injury, one of the
strengthening exercises was to stand on a spongy cushion (like those
memory mattresses which have gotten so popular only small) on one foot
(the sore knee one) and count to fifteen. I was supposed to increase
my counting. I have to say that this was really a balance thing as
well as a muscle building thing. It really really helped my balance. I
did it alternating legs at home, just standing on the carpet. You can
do it anywhere. Also, I know most men won't want to try this, but many
steps in ballet are balancing acts. If you stand in first position and
go up on the balls of your feet, try staying there for a short bit
without holding onto anything and without wobbling. We were told in
ballet to picture a ramrod up our butts and did some mental imaging
sorts of things to keep from tottering.

June

wrote in message
...
telewhacker writes:

telewhacker BeeCharmer wrote:
Get Doug Garfield's book, Steady Ski. It's helped me
tremendously; I
work it into my strength workouts and other times, like when
I'm
standing in line for a latte at Starbucks.

chris
ne iowa

telewhacker Is that like Kegeling at stop lights?

telewhacker I don't have a dryland routine for balance but
everytime I ski I make
telewhacker it a point to do 5-10 minutes with no poles, classic
and skating.

Yes, I am adding some of that to my time on snow.

telewhacker If I am on a consistent surface I do some Russian
Skates as well;
telewhacker poling twice then three and ultimately four times on
each side. On a
telewhacker smooth pond this works out to be a 50' glide with
each skate.

Staying on the one ski the whole time I guess. Sounds useful.

It is sad being a klutz, but I expect I can improve to some
degree.

Thanks,


--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in rec.skiing.nordic...)

Something does beat rollerskiing for learning ski-skating balance. Beats it
for non-truly-serious racers. Beats it for non-racing truly-serious-fun
skiers:

inline skating (like "Rollerblades")

Skates are better because:
(a) big key for learning balance is lack of fear. Rollerskis are scarier
than inlines because they're hard to stop and hard to turn.

(b) Inline skates can be used at most indoor roller rinks. The wood surface
of a roller rink is smoother less irregularities than most pavement (good
for beginners). A roller rink is big and wide, designed to be a good
environment for learning balance. And you generally get way less road-rash
from falling on a polished wooden floor than on pavement. Still good to wear
all that protective gear you'd want for skating on pavement.

(c) Once you get comfortable on easy surfaces, inline skates can be used
with greater safety in a much wider range of progressively challenging
balance environments than rollerskis.

(d) You can push your limits on balance on inline skates with fun moves that
way beyond the capabilities of rollerskis.

Of course this advice does not apply to truly serious racers. They should
listen to Nathan -- who is surely right that rollerskis are a way better
method for most people to learning skating balance than standing on one leg
in your living room.

Ken

I like this one:
http://www.performbetter.com/detail....tegoryID_E_232

Gene

Nathan Schultz wrote:

Nothing beats rollerskiing for improving ski balance.

You can also get all sorts of physical therapy balance toys that you can
use at random times during a normal day.

-Nathan
www.nsavage.com

Mine measures 14" diameter inflated. It's the one with dimples. I do
one leg at a time, hold it as long as possible, change positions, etc.
The main benefit is a little upper and lower leg and ankle strength and
loosening up. Still need good technique.

GG


wrote:

Gene Goldenfeld writes:

Gene I like this one:
http http://www.performbetter.com/detail....tegoryID_E_232

How do you use it (them?)? Stand on one leg on
one? Move between two? Which is better, the 13" or
the 17"?

Thanks,
ah

--
Andrew Hall
(Now reading Usenet in rec.skiing.nordic...)