Apres-Ski Yoga Poses to Release Achy Muscles and Joints | Adventure Yogi

Have you ever woken up the next day, post an epic ski or boarding day to feel achy and stiff? We have our blog on preparatory yoga poses for skiing but here is a blog for the end of the day and instead of Apres-ski in the bar try Apres-ski yoga instead!  These yoga poses target ski and snowboard specific muscles groups so that you can stay pain-free and are what I do post snowboarding to keep muscle stiffness at bay. Here’s our blog for the Good Ski Guide about the benefits of yoga for skiing if you want a little more info too!

 

Legs up the wall for Apres-ski yoga

This is a great apres-ski yoga posture! To start, it calms the body and mind from an active and energy fuelled day. The heart gets a rest and as the body has been racing around in an upright position for up to 8 hours a day, it gives the legs a rest. it is very calming too.

 

 

Lying Twist for Apres-ski yoga

Enjoy this lovely twist to uncoil the spine. If you have been snowboarding a twist is great to rebalance the spine which has been twisting all day. This also opens up the hips and the front of the shoulders which is great for skiers after using their ski poles. This is an apres-ski yoga posture to find restorative balance.

 

 

Cat-Cow for Apres-ski yoga

Coming into cat/cow pose which feels like a delicious apres-ski yoga stretch! This movement out the spine and creates space between the vertebrae that skiing has been compressing all day. By moving in a figure of 8 with the hips you can also start to loosen the side body and deeper low back muscles that have been overworking.

 

 

 

Downward Facing Dog

An obvious one but always a goody!  An overall back body stretcher, getting into those calf muscles which is great for both skiers and snowboarders. This is the classic apres-ski yoga stretch and for good reason, it just works every time!

 

Lunge

From downward dog bring one leg forward into a lunge to create a stretch in the front of the back leg. A great apres-ski yoga stretch for the deep hip muscles like the Psoas. Furthermore, releasing the quads in the front of the leg which have all been working very hard on the mountain all day! Then lift arm and stretch over to the opposite side to feel a great side body stretch and deepening of the hip flexors stretch.

And, reach!

From the lunge – if you want to deepen the stretch to the Quads and Psoas, bend the back leg and reach around with the opposite hand to reach the foot, It’s a deep apres-ski yoga posture – Enjoy!

Bow pose

From lunging, lie on your tummy and place the forehead down on the ground. Bend the knees and then reach round to grab the feet. Inhale, and on the exhale loft the head and push the feet into the hand’s and pull the hands towards your head. This creates friction to be able to bend the back and feel an amazing stretch to the front body. Great after a day of hammering down a mountain!

Apres-ski Yoga – Pigeon pose

This one is just delicious into those hip and bum muscles. Fold forwards and close the eyes and breathe into this wonderful apres-ski yoga posture! Feel the glutes, the piriformis muscles release.

 

Forward bend

A lovely restorative yoga pose after a day on the slopes. Straighten the legs out in front inhale, exhale and fold forwards. I like to allow my back to around here as it is a restorative version of the forward fold. Close the eyes, breathe and allow the back of the legs and spine and shoulders and neck to slowly open up and release.  It’s nice to hold this for 3 – 5 minutes as a yin posture for maximum benefit.

 

Apres-ski Yoga – Wide-legged forward fold

Just to give the inner thighs a nice stretch out after working so hard too. Again, fold forward rounding the back and stay there for 3 – 5 minutes and really feel the Hamstrings and inner thighs release.

Seated wide-legged forward bend with side bend

From the above pose, simply sit up straight, lift one arm up above the head and then reach to the opposite side. Then, keep the torso in a straight line and allow the bottom arm to reach for the foot or knee. Allow the arm above to reach also for the foot. Don’t worry if it doesn’t get there. This creates an amazing stretch of the side body and deep muscles of the Quadratus Lamborum (QL) muscles (deep low back stabilising muscles) which have worked very hard all day.

 

Apres-ski Yoga – Savasana

The best bit! Not just for Apres-ski yoga! Allow yourself a good 10 minutes here. This will allow the body and mind to settle and allow the new re-alignment pattern to reach its equilibrium. Especially after a day of twisting, bending, and using all these muscles intensively that you may not be used to.

 

 

There you go! I hope this apres-ski yoga class can help you unwind the body, stretch out and release all the muscles that have been engaged in high energy fun! We offer a morning and evening yoga class on our snowsports and yoga holidays because we find that this is the best way to keep the body ski ready. Furthermore, it helps prevent injury and minimize any muscles pain, strain or aches. Try out our Morning wake up yoga for skiers blog and check out our snowsports and yoga holidays in the French Alps!