Balance is everything when you're on skis. It's what keeps you upright, in control, and having fun. Yet balance is also shown to decrease both with age and with inactivity. I’ve got some quick and effective tips to help you boost your balance.
First, take this simple test: stand on one foot and see how long you can hold it.
While you’re balancing, I’ll take you through a few surprising—and surprisingly simple—ways to improve your balance in a short amount of time.
The Truth About Balance Training
A balance board isn’t the only way to get better at balance. While tougher balance drills like standing on one foot or standing on an unstable surface can work on it, these exercises often overlook the important link between your overall strength and how balanced you are.
I've seen people trying to lift weights while standing on a bosu ball or doing exercises on an unstable surface to work on their balance and strength at the same time. But when we lift on an unstable surface, we're not able to exert as much force overall and get a reduced strength benefit from those exercises.
Research shows that the stronger you are, the better your ability to balance is. This is because stronger muscles react quicker to postural changes, allowing your body to make micro-adjustments to stay centred.
The cool part: strength can increase in as little as two weeks after you start training. Meaning two weeks from now, you could have better balance because you've started to work on the strength of your muscles, particularly in your core and lower body.
In the WILDR 8-week online pre-ski program, we spend the first four weeks focused on building strength and power. Using our Adventure Ready Model of training, we focus on 6 to 8 reps with great technique, with a weight that makes it feel like you could only do ten reps maximum. And you want to combine that with a lot of rest so that you're fully recovered and you can exert the same amount of force for every set you do.
If you haven't done strength training before, you might not be using a lot of weight at the beginning. As you progress in strength training, you'll want to increase that weight. If you want to know what strength exercises to do, check out this video here with my 6 exercises to build power for skiing.
The Overlooked Component: Your Feet and Ankles
Having a strong core and lower body is important for balance, but it isn’t where micro-adjustments are happening.
Even when our feet are in stiff ski boots, they're incredibly active as we ski. Our feet and ankles are constantly making those essential micro-adjustments that keep us in control on the slopes. This means that in order to stay centered, your upper body isn’t making massive movements which can lead to overcorrecting or losing control.
In fact, working on foot mobility and strength can massively improve your balance, especially when the snow gets icy or conditions are unpredictable. And there are benefits to working on that ankle mobility and the off-season as well!
Here’s an easy way to start:
Put a credit card or piece of paper under the joint where your big toe meets your foot.
Push your big toe into the ground without scrunching it. See if you can keep that card trapped while you're pulling on it with your hand.
Now try shortening the distance between that joint and your heel, and watch your arch rise and become active.
Once you have enough strength and control, you can move on to other foot mobility exercises:
How’s Your Balance Age?
Researchers have found that balance begins to decline in midlife, starting at about age 50.
In the study, adults could stand on one foot for:
30 - 49 year olds: for a minute or more.
50 year olds: 45 seconds.
70 year olds: only about 28 seconds.
So how long did you balance for and what's your “balance age”?
If you’re a skier, remember that we need balance that’s beyond average to handle slippery surfaces, variable terrain, and those long sticks strapped to our feet.
Takeaways for Better Balance
If you want better balance on skis, here’s what to do:
Build strength—especially in your core and lower body.
Don’t skip foot and ankle training, even in the off-season.
Stay consistent—you’ll see results faster than you think!
Combining resistance training to build strength while incorporating your feet and ankles can mean that you're going to have better balance and stability on skis. And yes, you can start seeing improvements in as little as two weeks, but you need to know what movements. If you’re ready to dive deeper, check out my video on the best strength exercises for skiing.
And if you want to get a little bit more customized recommendations, take our free Ski Superpower Quiz to get personalized tips on what to work on. Within 5 minutes, it can show you what your superpower is on the hill and what you can work on to get the most benefit before next season.
I’m so excited for this ski season—there’s so much to look forward to! Until then, keep training and stay balanced.
Have a WILDR day!
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