 Poster: A snowHead
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Background info
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I've been having osteopathic treatment for a lumbar problem & they've also examined my ankle which I broke/dislocated & which has less than full strength/range of movement. The verdict is that there is no physical reason why I can't regain virtually full strength/range of movement - considering the surgeon, 5 years ago, pronounced that I would probably never walk without a noticeable limp, I am ecstatic as you can imagine!
Anyway in addition to other exercises, I was recommended to get and use a wobble board to
a. Specifically exercise my ankle in various ways
b. Improve my balance/proprioception (the fine sensing of joint position. )
c. Increase my core strength which will help my back and reduce the likelihood of the problem recurring.
Now for my question
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As you know I'm a novice who doesn't manage to ski on the real stuff too often, so I try to ensure I'll make the most of the time I do have, by learning as much as possible, from as many sources as I can, so I have a range of things to think about/try to support the lessons I take.
I've managed a few indoor slope lessons this summer, but I am still not achieving parallel turns and have been having real difficutly sorting out body posture in turns, and realise now that this results in me insufficiently weighting my downhill ski meaning I don't 'hold' the turn unless it's a very tame slope. When I got on the wobble board I realised that the side to side exercise was of course causing me to stand on a sloping surface (it has 2 heights). I therefore began to wonder if I could replicate the right posture for skiing while doing this and start to develop some useful muscle memory whilst gaining the other benefits. However I'm finding it really hard to do so as it doesn't seem to feel right. I am trying to put weight over the straight leg, the "downhill" one, but at the same time push my hips sideways towards the "uphill" one, leaving my shoulders pretty much over the "downhill" leg. Does that sound right? Is it achievable on a wobble board? Do any of you use one and can you tell me if you can achieve the same kind of body-posture feel as when skiing?
Sorry if this is a daft question and you feel I am wasting my time and yours, but I am always looking for any possible way of benefitting myself so I can maximise the time I spend away on my holiday and that can't be a bad thing to do!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
I am trying to put weight over the straight leg, the "downhill" one, but at the same time push my hips sideways towards the "uphill" one, leaving my shoulders pretty much over the "downhill" leg.
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Waste of time. There's no centrifugal force that you need to angulate against.
| Quote: |
Does that sound right? Is it achievable on a wobble board? Do any of you use one and can you tell me if you can achieve the same kind of body-posture feel as when skiing?
Sorry if this is a daft question and you feel I am wasting my time and yours, but I am always looking for any possible way of benefitting myself so I can maximise the time I spend away on my holiday and that can't be a bad thing to do! |
IMO you could just work on the one-footed balance, maybe with not one but -two- wobble boards, doing weight transfer between them and trying to go down and up as much as you can once your weight is over the board.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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NewSkier, wobble boards and the giant breast implant thingy you stand on with one leg are great and helped me through my Achilles rehab (but I still need to do more as a general part of my life). Having skied with you at MK and if you look at MM's vid you'll see that your first prob is just that you spend waaaay too much time looking down at the snow. Look up and around you to assist your balance. Though it must be said that if you can ski well without a visual reference like blind skiers, that is a real and admirable skill.
there is a blink exercise that can help with this but I need to go and check my old notes before I post on how to do it.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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NewSkier, The advantage with wobble boards and the like is that they improve your balance. When your balance is better in a general sense, your posture will also be better. Don't 'think' too much about the right posture when you're skiing. You need to think about natural posture - ie: as per normal life and not something special. You've already found out how bad it is looking down - try walking around looking down, and then look up and ahead of you. Your body will soon get the message. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
then look up and ahead of you
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But not in Lille, where I've just spent the day - lovely town, but positively knee-deep in dog poo! 
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| Quote: |
the giant breast implant thingy you stand on with one leg
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I'm about to do a load of ironing whilst doing just that. Is this wise? (Reminds me of how you give an Irishman (Belgian, Pole, etc etc, delete as appropriate) a hot ear: answer is, phone him while he's doing the ironing.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Do anything you can to improve your balance, when you're sure you've mastered everything, try surfing on the back of a Butterfly, end of.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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How about a 2litre bottle of coke, and al old skateboard deck, works for me!
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| easiski wrote: |
| NewSkier, The advantage with wobble boards and the like is that they improve your balance. When your balance is better in a general sense, your posture will also be better. Don't 'think' too much about the right posture when you're skiing. You need to think about natural posture - ie: as per normal life and not something special. You've already found out how bad it is looking down - try walking around looking down, and then look up and ahead of you. Your body will soon get the message. |
Thanks - you're right - I am getting a bit over bothered about the "right" posture! The balance is coming on a treat - even with just a couple of days of practice - I've got it in the kitchen so keep getting on it while waiting for things to cook, while reading the paper.....!
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You know it makes sense.
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veeeight,
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| Centrifugal Force? |
Centrifugal and centripetal always get mixed up 
For my 2p's worth I'd say stand on a wobble board in your ski boots. Maybe that'll encourage you to use knees, hips and upper body/core to balance...
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Saw something on 'The One Show' on BBC in the summer that said your 'balance' deteriorated with age. This was demonstrated by timing people of varying ages closing their eyes and standing on one leg. The time that people could achieve was directly related to their age. It was claimed that exercising or practicing didn't improve your balance as you got older. Not sure how true that was, but wobble boards and quad strengthening obviously provide invaluable strength and stability to the knee joint and improved core stability.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Kramer, nah we have used that for years on me.....
I have a "favourite" tree run at home that my instructors liek to have me ski.... it is most often (given our snow conditions) what my friend has described as "an icy luge" - bumpy and hard snow conditions....
The snowboarders like jumping off the rocks that form many of the bumps(the large ones are about my head height)....
Mostly it is not very busy and I will slack off and lose the instructors tails when I feel I don't want to go fast... or when setting line myself I just like to cruise a bit....
Every so often though I have a blitzing run... usually because I hear the "scccccrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaapppppppeeee" of snowborad skidding on hard snow.... and THAT scares me much more than my bump skiing does... so i speed up!!!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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little tiger, absolutely agree about the go-faster effect of snowboard scrape! I also use the fact that I suffer from vertigo to keep me going - it's only when I stop or go very slowly that the vertigo tends to overcome me. Dithering at the top of something steep is fatal - if I don't go straight away, I'm liable to be stuck for some time!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Kramer wrote: |
Releasing a pack of ravenous lions should do the trick nicely. And if it didn't work, hey ho, you wouldn't be around to complain. 
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Nah, I'd just stop and get out the pack of lion treats laced with happy juice and say " here, nice kitties"!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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NewSkier, When you are next at dry slope/MK try skiing with your arms folded across your chest (sort of Kossak style). It's a bit unnerving but prevents you looking down. Do it on a gentle slope, quite slowly and in a snow plough if necessary. You will eventually become more comfortable with it and then try it without crossing your arms.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Sharkymark wrote: |
For my 2p's worth I'd say stand on a wobble board in your ski boots. . |
The wobble board shown and the bongo board shown will only take one-part plug-style boot soles, or 3 part soles smaller than 296mm 
Edit:
| Quote: |
| upper body/core to balance... |
very true, they are both very good for balanced press-ups.
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Rolf Harris is your man for wobble boards.
'Tie me kangaroo down Sport' etc. Top class.
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| Sharkymark wrote: |
For my 2p's worth I'd say stand on a wobble board in your ski boots. . |
Will try that!
Might give that a go too Kitty.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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NewSkier, please don't, not until you get a bit of practice in at least.
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Comprex,
Which?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Sharkymark's one.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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comprex, thanks - I can certainly see the value of trying it when the balance has become really good (and it's improved fantastically after only a few days ) - but I don't think I'd do it without holding onto something!!
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NewSkier, and without checking that your boots fit on it without all of 1.5cm^2 contact area, please! 
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You know it makes sense.
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comprex, will bear that in mind
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monster77
monster77
Guest
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| Kitty wrote: |
| NewSkier, When you are next at dry slope/MK try skiing with your arms folded across your chest (sort of Kossak style).. |
That is so you are ready to be slid into the pine box when it all goes wrong 
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Poster: A snowHead
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TODAY's BALANCE CHALLENGE:
Stand next to a wall.
Put the edge of your foot next to the wall.
Put the same ear on the wall as if listening to it.
Lift the other foot off the ground.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hurtle, think about what the wall is doing, then go back to a recent A-framing chat, the answer has been posted to the board before.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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comprex, Sorry, haven't got time for riddles at the moment.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| comprex wrote: |
| Hurtle, think about what the wall is doing, then go back to a recent A-framing chat, the answer has been posted to the board before. |
My walls don't do anything, unless I am not sober!
EDIT: Having thought about this (oh alright and having had a go, thinking it couldn't be that hard!), I think I can see what's going on! Hips stick out further than ankles, so by putting your foot & side of body touching the wall your hips are being displaced away from the wall, shifting your weight over the outside foot, which you then can't lift?
Am I anywhere near??
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I have been using one of those wobble boards that are like saturn, ie half ball underneath a round board
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F414lndV5MiL._AA280_.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FWobble-Board%2Fdp%2FB000S1P56A&h=280&w=280&sz=11&hl=en&start=21&um=1&tbnid=rO3JqnA-rkW6PM%3A&tbnh=114&tbnw=114&prev=&tag=amz07b-21
I hold onto something like a weights machine or pole and lean the board to one side, pushing my knees and hips down, then moving to the other side - back and forth
it is a great exercise which helps with stretching, strengthening and technique (don't put your knees together)
I go faster, slower, hold downs with counting to five / ten seconds etc
I go to another gym and they have one of those sprung wobble boards
http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.viewpoints.com/images/review/2007/172/17/1182464537-54071_full.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.viewpoints.com/Reebok-Core-Board-review-00a1&h=400&w=400&sz=20&hl=en&start=32&um=1&tbnid=1ymm4NXfEAC1FM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=124&prev=
and I use like an elastic skipping rope with handles around a pillar and lean over both ways pulling on the skipping rope, so I get balance, strengthing, technique and also by pulling on the ropes, it strengthens and exercises my arms like when using your poles.
brilliant.....
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FAQ
