Article: Why Yoga Benefits Skiers

I found this article on About.com that talks about the benefits of yoga for skiers. The reporter interviewed a Killington yogi named Karen Dalury. Karen and the author point out that the key skills and techniques needed for skiing--balance, flexibility and concentration--are all honed and sharpened by proper yoga practice. I like some of the following points made in the article:

• Technology and improvements to equipment have helped reduce most common leg fractures, but it still leaves the knee at a high risk for injury.
  
• Developing a yoga practice that increases the dexterity, flexibility and strength of support of the muscles surrounding the knee can help reduce injury. Particularly, strengthen the inner and outer thigh, calf and abductor and adductor muscles surrounding the knee.
  
• Engaging core muscles into balancing learned during proper yoga practice can "bear the load", or redirect the weight bearing off the knees and into the core body
• In skiing, angulation of the hips is involved when we lean on our edges. Angulation is not something we regularly do so flexibility focus on opening the hips helps us reengage massive muscle groups that we have forgotten in our "sit to do everything" world.