Ronald Newman serves as a managing member at the Milestone Companies, a Washington-based group that completes real estate development projects in the area. When he’s not busy with work, Ronald “Ron” Newman enjoys taking advantage of Washington’s regular winter snow and is very fond of snow skiing.
Good balance is a key component to good skiing. A part of good balance comes from maintaining the correct skiing posture. Ideally, the feet should be spread apart at a comfortable distance with the knees and ankles slightly flexed. Further, the spine should be curved naturally and the hips and shoulders should be aligned. In addition to posture, skiers must consider how they place their weight. Ideally, weight should be placed on the feet equally without favoring either the ball or heel of the foot. This keeps the ski boot from getting overloaded at either the back or front ends. Additionally, putting more weight on the outside ski, while seemingly counterintuitive, helps skiers stay more balanced while turning.
If skiers find that getting the right balance is difficult, the problem might be their strength. For many individuals, trying a strength exercise at the same time as a balance exercise is much more challenging than strength alone, which often results in poor balance while skiing. Rather than ignoring it, skiers can do exercises that combine balance and strength. Squatting on a balance board is a great exercise for improving skiing balance. Combining both aspects had better results than strength training alone because it trains the body to stay balanced during varying movements. Most skiers will notice improvements in skiing balance within just one month.
