听was skiing before her first birthday, thanks to her dad, ski photographer Jeff Engerbretson. By all accounts听she was born into the sport, but at听13听she听quit ski racing to pursue ballet. In her twenties, she came back to the听rugged peaks surrounding Lake Tahoe and started her career as a professional skier. 鈥淢y physical history is in dancing in the most extreme way,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 think that background has set up me听well for skiing, because it鈥檚 all about awareness, discipline, and knowing where your body is.鈥 Years of dancing honed her balance and stability听and taught听to use听her body as a complete system instead of听isolated muscles. She trains with that sensibility in mind. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really important when you鈥檙e in preseason training to听pay attention to your core, back, and stabilizers, not just your legs,鈥 Engerbretson says.
We asked听the Warren Miller athlete, who also has a background teaching barre and dance, to share听her favorite听dance-inspired workout routine. These do-anywhere exercises help with coordination and range of motion. If they feel听easy, think like a ballerina and check your posture. Small-scale听bodyweight movements take grace and control听and build strength with contained repetitive motion鈥攚hich means they鈥檒l serve you well when you鈥檙e trying to snake through bumps听or power through wet, heavy snow.
Back Dancing
What it does:听This modified bridge strengthens your posterior chain and hard-to-reach lower abdominal muscles.
How to do it:听Lie on your back with your knees bent and your heels close to your glutes. Raise your hips into a bridge position and听rapidly tuck your pelvis, engaging your abs and your butt, and keeping your pelvis听elevated. Engerbretson听repeats ten tucks to the center, ten right, and ten left for the duration of a song, or approximately 2.5 minutes. 鈥淚t听looks a little air-humpy but it鈥檚 good for low glutes and hamstrings,鈥 she says.
Wide Second Position Side Crunch
What it does: A low squat strengthens your legs听while standing crunches challenge your core and balance, key for skiing variable terrain.
How to do it:听Drop into a wide-legged low squat听with your toes turned out听and your hips almost even with your knees (the stance is reminiscent of ballet鈥檚 ). Be sure to maintain a neutral position in your lower back鈥攊t鈥檚 easy to let it curve deeply in this stance.听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. 鈥淵our core will get tired, but it鈥檚 really a balance challenge,鈥 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鈥攑articularly in the obliques.
How to do it:听With your hands behind your head and your elbows wide, go down into a deep sumo squat听with your toes turned out and your knees wider than your hips.听Come up and bring your right knee up to meet your right elbow as you do, keeping your back straight. 鈥淚t鈥檚 dynamic and feels dancy,鈥 she says. Do听three sets of 20 reps on each side.
Quad Hovers
What it does: This move mimics听the extended side-to-side force of skiing bumps, building听quad 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. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to do little rocking听dance motion,鈥 she says. 鈥淐runch 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鈥檛 lean forward.鈥
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.