was skiing before her first birthday, thanks to her dad, ski photographer Jeff Engerbretson. By all accountsshe was born into the sport, but at13shequit ski racing to pursue ballet. In her twenties, she came back to therugged peaks surrounding Lake Tahoe and started her career as a professional skier. “My physical history is in dancing in the most extreme way,” she says. “I think that background has set up mewell for skiing, because it’s all about awareness, discipline, and knowing where your body is.” Years of dancing honed her balance and stabilityand taughtto useher body as a complete system instead ofisolated muscles. She trains with that sensibility in mind. “I think it’s really important when you’re in preseason training topay attention to your core, back, and stabilizers, not just your legs,” Engerbretson says.
We askedthe Warren Miller athlete, who also has a background teaching barre and dance, to shareher favoritedance-inspired workout routine. These do-anywhere exercises help with coordination and range of motion. If they feeleasy, think like a ballerina and check your posture. Small-scalebodyweight movements take grace and controland build strength with contained repetitive motion—which means they’ll serve you well when you’re trying to snake through bumpsor power through wet, heavy snow.
Back Dancing
What it does:This modified bridge strengthens your posterior chain and hard-to-reach lower abdominal muscles.
How to do it:Lie on your back with your knees bent and your heels close to your glutes. Raise your hips into a bridge position andrapidly tuck your pelvis, engaging your abs and your butt, and keeping your pelviselevated. Engerbretsonrepeats ten tucks to the center, ten right, and ten left for the duration of a song, or approximately 2.5 minutes. “Itlooks a little air-humpy but it’s good for low glutes and hamstrings,” she says.
Wide Second Position Side Crunch
What it does: A low squat strengthens your legswhile standing crunches challenge your core and balance, key for skiing variable terrain.
How to do it:Drop into a wide-legged low squatwith your toes turned outand your hips almost even with your knees (the stance is reminiscent of ballet’s ). Be sure to maintain a neutral position in your lower back—it’s easy to let it curve deeply in this stance.With your hands behind your head, bend to the side, tapping your elbow to your knee. You should feel your quads working in the low squat. “Your core will get tired, but it’s really a balance challenge,” Engerbretson says. Do three sets of 20 reps on each side.
Sumo Squat with Knee Lift
What it does: This full-body exercise builds cardiovascular endurance, coordination, and core strength—particularly in the obliques.
How to do it:With your hands behind your head and your elbows wide, go down into a deep sumo squatwith your toes turned out and your knees wider than your hips.Come up and bring your right knee up to meet your right elbow as you do, keeping your back straight. “It’s dynamic and feels dancy,” she says. Dothree sets of 20 reps on each side.
Quad Hovers
What it does: This move mimicsthe extended side-to-side force of skiing bumps, buildingquad strength and endurance.
How to do it: On a doubled-up yoga mat, kneel with the tops of your feet flat on the floor and your hands in prayer position. Hover your butt a few inches above your heels. “You’re going to do little rockingdance motion,” she says. “Crunch your right booty for ten, then your left booty for ten, and then do ten to the center. Repeat it for a whole song. Make sure you keep your shoulders over your hips, and don’t lean forward.”
Side Arm Plank Crunch
What it does: Dancers and skiers both need strong cores for stability and back support. This jacked-up side plank works obliques and builds rotational strength.
How to do it: In side plank position, with your top hand behind your head and your elbow out, dip your hip to the floor, return to the top of the plank, then crunch forward to tap your upper elbow to the mat. Do two sets of 12 reps on each side.