Balancing Act: Lower-Body
Fitness
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Wimp:
Flamingo. Stand balanced on one leg for 10-second intervals; switch legs. Challenge: Do it standing on a folded towel.
Mortal: One-legged squat. Stand on one leg with an elastic tube under the foot; pull the other end of the tube to your waist, anchoring it there; lower and raise hips to flex and extend. Switch sides. Challenge: Increase the tube’s resistance.
Buffed: Minitramp ball toss. Standing on a tramp on one leg, have your partner toss a ball to you from varying angles; catchthe ball. Challenge: Hop up and down while catching.
Animal: Inner-outer thigh 4×4. Make a loop with an elastic tube and anchor it to something stable; loop tube around left ankle; stand with right leg on a 4×4 beam; move left leg in front of body, pulling on the tube (inner thigh). To work the outer thigh, simply turn 180 degrees and repeat. Switch legs. Challenge: Try it with eyes closed.
Balance Tip: Stand on one foot and notice the first part of your body to adjust to imbalance: the ankles. Awareness of ankle movement is what separates intermediates from advanced skiers.
