Snow is falling.  Martineast is skiing.  I’m in Tacoma, WA on a little last minute R&R before the the season grind starts up.  Anyone at Mt. Baker wanna host a ski bum for a day?  Haha.

Anyways, had been doing some local ski conditioning classes in Vail as a final prep for the season, and selfishly, just to see if all the TDs had any effect.  Overall, and without tooting horns, mine or otherwise,  I think all the hiking and biking made a big difference.  Quads, hammys, calves, and core have all been solid so far.  More than solid, I’ve actually felt really strong.  With the exception of one area…the gluteus maximus /medius.

Conjure up as many Sir Mix-A-Lot jokes as you can in the next 15 seconds, then get back to reading.

15 – 14 – 13….

But seriously, think about the body and the muscles that work together (since we’re not doctors here at EVI, take this “thinking” with a grain of salt.)  Think about skiing and your legs.  Think about quads, hammys, knees, etc.  The gluteus medius (GM) deals with the stability of your leg and a weak GM can mean extra strain on your other muscles / joints, specifically the knee.   In fact, recent research has show a direct correlation between a weak GM and ACL injury risk.  Knock on wood real quick, but it got me a little worried to say the least.  There might be a nice fix between now and opening day…band exercises.

A giant rubber band in essence that goes around the ankles.  Get down in a squat / active skiing position, chest up, and step sideways big, then bring the legs together (keeping tension on the band).  Repeat in the opposite direction.  You can do this eating breakfast, reading the EVI blog, watching the Packers keep winning, whatever,  all while the snow falls between now and opening day.  Keep ya knees safe and your legs strong and get ready for a good season.  Snow will be packin’ much back, you should too.