by Harald » Tue Apr 20, 2004 8:31 am
There are some situations where training using skiing equipment, boots etc is preferential, such as with ski simulators, examples are rolling devices such as the ?Carvers? and inlines. But to enhance balance and strength and specific movements of the ankle and foot, you may want to be out of the ski boot.
When you are in a ski boot on snow, you have little range of motion of the ankle. After the ankle has moved to the end of its range, the muscles are used in an isometric contraction against resistance from the ground, (plantar flexion) or boot and tipping resistance (in eversion and inversion). When you are on a titter or tipping board, especially with one foot balance exercises, the board changes the environment, as ground reaction is almost eliminated due to the range of motion of the board. The board offers range of motion that far exceeds the range of motion you can achieve on snow. The slightest movement when in a ski boot on a tipping board can put you off. But this is not the case on snow or the ground. The boots on snow allow one to push against the surface to rebalance. The balance board doesn?t allow this reaction; therefore the way you balance in a boot, on a tipping board is totally different and not applicable to skiing. In fact, balancing on a tipping board with ski boots is more like inline skating, than skiing. The inline offers no resistance to tipping. Skis and Carvers do.