Body and Ski Alignment

Have you ever noticed that some people can ski all day and still be full of energy while other people are moaning and groaning after a few hours? Some of that has to do with being in shape. Skiers who are in good physical condition, though, and are still suffering after a day's skiing, may benefit from a body and ski alignment.

Postural alignment can improve your skiing ability by teaching you to regulate your center of balance. Once the techniques of alignment have been absorbed, you will use them unconsciously to experience greater skiing control and greater comfort in your boots.

Most of us have limbs and joints which are somewhat out of alignment with the rest of our bodies. The degree of this misalignment can determine our comfort level while doing physical activities like skiing. In fact, skiing is likely to exaggerate any problems with alignment because of the rigidness the equipment imposes on your posture.

While walking or going about our daily activities we unconsciously compensate for our misaligned bodies, but as soon as we strap on a pair of skis these problems come to the forefront. If you experience pain and discomfort while skiing or simply want to bring your skiing ability to a new level, body and ski alignment may be for you.

How it Works

Misaligned limbs are usually the result of inappropriately tensed muscle groups that attempt to compensate for hips which are out of alignment. This hip problem is very common and has the effect of dropping one leg lower than the other. There is usually not a physical difference in leg lengths, but the angle of the hips causes one leg to extend lower than the other.

In order to compensate for this, muscle groups of the 'longer' leg will unconsciously tighten to make that leg 'shorter'. These contracted muscles can produce a ripple effect by causing the muscles on one side of the back to contract – throwing off your center of balance.

Body alignment sessions teach you to restore your natural sense of balance by relaxing the muscles and allowing the body to truly balance. Once this feeling has been experienced, the body naturally 'remembers' the sensation and will adopt that same stance.

To apply these principals to skiing, the body has to learn how to balance in the 'unnatural' confinement of ski boots. Once the initial sessions have re-established your balance, additional sessions must be conducted while wearing ski boots.

Ski boots restrict your stance so finding your center of balance while wearing them is not as intuitive as with bare feet. The therapist will work with you while you are wearing your boots to help you find a comfortable balance.

This work can greatly improve your confidence and flexibility when on the slopes. Having a firm center of gravity allows you to balance more easily and recover from sudden movements.

Those who have gone through ski and body alignment sessions report that their skiing ability has improved and that they experience less pain. These sessions are suitable for all levels of skiers.

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