Yoga For Skiers: 10 Post-Skiing Yoga Poses You Need Right Now

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Montana is a big playground and there is no shortage of opportunities to ski. While cross-country skiing feels like a stroll through the forest, downhill skiing requires a lot of power… which can lead to sore, tight muscles.

By Monday, skiers are limping around town on tired muscles.

It’s why I started using the tag #mountainlegsmonday on Instagram to promote the Monday evening Yinyasa class, which is a series of postures like those below.

Try making this your yoga routine post-skiing and enjoy the delicious feeling of massaging your muscles from the inside.

Why Yoga Is Important For Skiers

Skiing is a full-body sport, but your legs take the brunt of it. Long days on the mountain mean your quads are burning, your hamstrings are tight, and your lower back might be making a fuss. Add in the repetitive motion and impact, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for stiff, sore muscles.

That’s where yoga comes in. More than just a stretch, yoga helps with recovery, mobility, and injury prevention. A well-balanced practice can:

• Ease muscle fatigue – Holding deep stretches helps flush out built-up lactic acid, reducing that post-ski burn.
• Improve flexibility & mobility – The more mobile your hips, knees, and ankles, the smoother your turns (and the less likely you are to tweak something).
• Support joint health – Yoga strengthens the stabilizing muscles around your knees and hips, which take a beating on the slopes.
• Enhance balance & coordination – Working on stability in yoga translates directly to better control on the mountain.
• Speed up recovery – A little time on the mat means less limping on Monday.
• Build strength – Yoga helps develop muscular endurance in the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core, giving you the power to stay strong on long runs and challenging terrain.

Ski season is tough on the body, but yoga helps keep you strong, mobile, and ready for that next powder day.

Post Ski Stretches Using A Yoga Block

Just like in any physical practice, we always begin a yoga practice with fluid movement to warm-up the muscles. Entering these yoga poses on cold muscles can lead to more discomfort later, so take some time to get blood flowing first.

Sun salutations are great and can be done fairly quickly.

• You begin in mountain pose (standing) and then move with the breath to a forward fold.
• Step one foot back into a low lunge position, then to plank position.
• Take a chaturanga (a yogi push-up), then push back to downward facing dog.
• Step the opposite foot forward into a low lunge, then step into a forward fold.
• Come back up to mountain pose, and repeat on other side.

If you want to try other warm-ups, then come to a Yinyasa yoga class at the yoga studio to see how I do it seated. You can also give us a follow on Instagram, where I occasionally post useful routines.

Once you’re nice and warmed-up, give these poses a try. You can hold them as long as you like. I typically hold them for between two and five minutes.

The yoga poses below use the cork blocks at the studio. I like them because they’re firm enough to hold weight and soft enough that they don’t hurt. Want some of your own for your home practice? Here’s what I’m using:

1. Supported Bridge Pose (Legs Straight)

I love this yoga pose for gently releasing the hip flexors. Draping the body over the block allows gravity to do the work in a gentle, passive way. The longer you’re in this position, the more you can feel the release.

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart.
2. Place a yoga block under your sacrum (the flat bone above your tailbone).
3. Extend your legs straight and relax your arms by your sides.

This posture can make your lower back sore if you hold it for a long time. I like to follow this yoga pose with wind-relieving pose to counter the strain in the lower back. To get into wind-relieving pose, remove the block from under your sacrum and hug your knees to your chest.

2. Supported Half Wind Release Pose

This stretch is another great one for the hip flexors. Specifically, the psoas and rectus femoris (part of the quadriceps) can be tight from prolonged sitting, skiing, or other activities that involve a lot of forward motion. This tightness can prevent full external rotation in the hips.

This stretch will help improve your range of motion in the hips, making it easier for your hips to open and your legs to move freely—whether you’re skiing, stretching, or simply walking without stiffness. Over time, it can also reduce lower back tension by releasing the deep hip flexors that pull on the spine.

Here’s how to get into it:

1. Lie on your back with a block under your sacrum.
2. Hug your right knee into your chest while keeping the left leg extended. You can make circles with your right foot if that feels good for you.
3. Relax your shoulders and breathe deeply. Stay here for a few minutes.
4. Release your right leg and extend it fully to the ground. Hug your left knee to your chest. Make circles with your left foot before settling into the pose for a few minutes on this side.

3. Supported Reclined Butterfly Pose

This is a fantastic hip opener that I like to do when my glutes are on fire. Letting gravity pull on the outer hips in this posture feels so good. It stretches the inner thighs (adductors) while also helping release tension in the piriformis and gluteus medius, two key muscles that stabilize the pelvis and control hip rotation. When these muscles are tight, they can restrict external rotation, making it harder for your knees to lower.

If you have tight inner thigh muscles and your knees don’t easily fall open, place blocks, blankets, or pillows underneath them to ease the stretch and allow your hips to relax gradually.

Here’s how to get into it:

1. Lie on your back.
2. Bring the soles of your feet together on a block and let your knees fall open.
3. Rest your arms by your sides or on your belly.

4. Criss Cross Shoulder Stretch

Though the brunt of power comes from your lower body in downhill skiing, there is a surprising demand on the upper body in skiing as well. This is especially true for cross-country skiing and backcountry skiing.

After a day tugging on my poles, I love getting into this stretch.

This is a deep shoulder and upper back opener that helps release tension in the deltoids, rhomboids, and trapezius. It also provides a gentle stretch for the chest and rotator cuff muscles, which can become tight from the forward-leaning posture used in skiing. If your shoulders and upper back feel stiff, this yoga pose can help restore mobility and ease tension.

Here’s how to get into it:

1. Lie on your stomach with your hands on either corner of the yoga mat.
2. Lift your elbows off the ground, then thread one arm under the other.
3. Take your other arm and reach it the opposite direction, both palms facing up.
4. Rest your forehead on a block.
5. Repeat on opposite side.

5. Supported Fish Pose With Butterfly Legs

This pose is a powerful chest, shoulder, and hip opener that helps counteract the forward-leaning posture many skiers adopt while carving down the slopes. By allowing the chest to expand and the shoulders to gently roll back, this stretch relieves tension in the pectorals, deltoids, and upper back muscles, which can become tight from hours of skiing with poles in hand.

At the same time, the butterfly leg position targets the inner thighs (adductors) and outer hips (gluteus medius and piriformis), which are key stabilizers during skiing. These muscles often tighten due to the repetitive lateral movements required for turning and controlling speed. By opening the hips in this supported posture, you can improve flexibility and restore balance to the lower body, making it easier to move fluidly on and off the slopes.

1. Place a block under your upper back and another under your head for support.
2. Bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall open.
3. Relax your arms and take slow breaths.

6. Crescent Low Lunge With Knee On Floor

This stretch is a must for hip flexor and quadriceps relief, especially after a long day of skiing. The psoas, rectus femoris (part of the quads), and iliacus muscles work overtime on the slopes, helping you maintain balance, absorb impact, and drive through turns. However, prolonged contraction of these muscles—combined with the flexed hip position of skiing—can lead to tightness and restricted mobility.

By sinking into this lunge and lengthening the back leg, you gently stretch these overworked muscles, improving hip mobility and spinal alignment. Keeping the chest lifted also provides a subtle backbend, opening the abdominals and hip flexors, which can become compressed after hours of forward-leaning movement. This stretch not only aids in post-ski recovery but also helps improve posture and stride efficiency for future days on the mountain.

1. Step one foot forward into a lunge and lower your back knee to the ground.
2. Keep your front knee stacked over your ankle.
3. Tuck your pelvis forward. Broaden across the collarbones, creating space in your upper body for deep, full breaths.
4. Lift your arms overhead or rest hands on your thigh or some blocks, like I have here in the picture.

7. Half Split

This pose is an essential hamstring and calf stretch, targeting the muscles that work hardest during skiing. The hamstrings, gastrocnemius (calf muscle), and soleus are constantly engaged to control movement, absorb shock, and maintain balance. Skiing also involves frequent knee flexion, which can shorten the hamstrings over time, leading to stiffness and reduced mobility.

By extending the front leg in Half Split, you create a deep stretch along the back of the thigh and lower leg, helping to restore length and flexibility. This is key for preventing hamstring strain and knee discomfort, both common issues for skiers. Keeping the spine long and engaged enhances posterior chain activation, which supports better overall movement and stability on and off the slopes.

1. From a low lunge, shift your hips back and straighten your front leg.
2. Flex your front foot and keep your spine long.
3. Place hands on blocks or the floor for support.

8. Butterfly Pose

Butterfly Pose is an excellent stretch for the inner thighs (adductors), outer hips (gluteus medius), and lower back. The inner thigh muscles play a crucial role in stabilizing the legs during skiing, and they often become tight from repeated contraction. The outer hips, including the gluteus medius and piriformis, help control lateral movement and maintain balance on uneven terrain, making them prone to stiffness.

By placing your feet on a block, you create a gentle hip-opening stretch that encourages external rotation while maintaining a tall spine. This slight elevation reduces strain on the inner thighs, allowing for a more comfortable and effective stretch. Folding forward slightly deepens the stretch in the lower back and groin, making it a great recovery pose to release tension after a long day on the slopes.

1. Sit with the soles of your feet together on top of a yoga block and let the knees fall open.
2. Keep your spine tall or fold forward slightly.

9. Supported Seated Straddle Pose

This pose targets the hamstrings, inner thighs, and lower back, all of which can feel stiff after skiing. The wide-legged position stretches the adductors and hamstrings, which are heavily engaged in carving turns and maintaining balance on skis. Tightness in these areas can limit mobility and increase the risk of strains.

Here’s how to get into the pose:

1. Sit with legs extended wide apart.
2. Place a block under your sit bones for support.
3. Hinge forward from the hips while keeping your spine long. Then round the spine, let the head hang, relax the arms, and place the palms facing up.

The outer thigh muscles, including the iliotibial (IT) band, gluteus medius, and tensor fasciae latae (TFL), play a pretty important role in lateral stabilization during skiing. The outer thigh muscles work to control side-to-side movement and absorb impact, so they burn like hell on fresh powder days. This can lead to stiffness and discomfort.

To target the outer thigh muscles in this pose, you can lean to one side to intensify the stretch along the outer thigh.

10. Supported Yogi Squat

This deep squat is one of the best poses for hip mobility, ankle flexibility, and lower-body recovery. The hip flexors, glutes, adductors, and ankles are all engaged when skiing, especially during rapid weight shifts and edge control. Many skiers experience stiff ankles and tight hips, which can affect movement efficiency.

By placing a block under your seat, you can settle into the pose with less strain on the knees and ankles. This allows for a gradual opening of the hips and lower back, improving flexibility and stability. Practicing this pose regularly can enhance balance, mobility, and recovery, making movements on the mountain feel smoother and more controlled.

1. Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart.
2. Lower into a squat, bringing your hips toward your heels.
3. Place a block under your seat for support if needed.

Tips For Injury Free Skiing

• Drink lots of water. More than you think you need.
• Work on building strength, especially in the thigh muscles and core muscles. Yoga poses like Chair Pose, Warrior II, and Crescent Lunge help build endurance in the legs while engaging the core for stability. Power Yoga is a great class at the yoga studio to join if you’d like to increase your strength and mobility at the same time.
• Incorporate both dynamic and static stretches. The stretches above are static, meaning there is no movement, so they are great for soothing sore, tired muscles. Dynamic stretches, on the other hand, are great for improving mobility and injury prevention. Dynamic stretches more closely resemble the type of flexibility you’ll need on the mountain, where you catch an edge or your ski slips, or even those dreaded switchbacks. This will help you be flexible enough to experience those things without hurting yourself.
• To improve your range of motion, practice dynamic hip openers like low lunges, frog pose, and seated hip rotations to loosen the inner thighs and hip flexors.

Best Types Of Yoga For Skiers

If you’re looking for more than just a yoga pose here or there, then join us at some upcoming yoga classes at Anaconda Yoga.

If you’re looking for:

• Building strength, then come to our Power Flow class. This fast-paced yoga class moves through yoga poses quickly, like doing lots of graceful burpees.
• Improving mobility, then come to Slow Flow. We work a lot on balancing poses and dynamic movements, like dancing warrior. This helps improve strength and mobility in the joints used while skiing.
• Soothing sore muscles, then come to Yinyasa. This is a beautiful floor sequence that blends the long holds in Yin Yoga and the fluid movements in Vinyasa.
• Losing weight, then come to Yoga. That is all. The more movement that you introduce to your daily life, the more likely your body will shed unhealthy weight. To burn the most calories, try Power Flow and Slow Flow.

Take care of your body, it is taking good care of you!

I’ll see you in class.

Much love,

Marquis