Exercises for Skiers

Labor Day—From Summer Adventure to Year-Round Strength

Adults working out in a fitness studio and then in fall and winter activities for Labor Day fitness routine

Labor Day fitness routine isn’t about forcing a big “reset”—it’s about transforming all the gains from your summer adventures into strength, mobility, and vitality for every season ahead. Summer fills the calendar with hiking, long days outside, spontaneous games, and late-evening walks. But as Labor Day draws near, it’s time to move with intention. At SolCore, we know the secret isn’t in trends or quick fixes. It’s a holistic, fascia-focused approach rooted in osteopathic science that prepares the body for fall’s best adventures—and next year’s too.

Ready to Move Into Fall?

The weeks after Labor Day aren’t about doing less, but about moving with intention. Fall in Santa Fe is its own invitation: the hiking trails call, the aspens change, and soon enough it’s time for skiing, snowshoeing, or simply enjoying crisp mornings. But to actually enjoy these activities (and not get sidelined by pain, tightness, or fatigue), the real difference comes from building a program that understands the body’s structure—how it actually moves, adapts, and needs support as the seasons change.

A traditional routine might throw you into generic circuits or treadmill marches. But a holistic, osteopathic, and fascia-focused approach looks at your entire body as an integrated system. This means:

  • Restoring balance where summer’s adventures left some areas overworked and others neglected.
  • Addressing fascial tightness from drives, hikes, or even lounging.
  • Building functional strength and mobility directly to support what you love outdoors—so hiking, skiing, or a simple walk is easier and more enjoyable.

For a deeper dive into how a holistic program can transform your movement year-round, check out our Holistic Exercises and Fitness Program guide.

Building Strength for Every Adventure—Beginning Now

What you start this September sets the table for every bit of joy, freedom, and resilience you’ll feel in the coming months.

  • Want to feel great on snowy trails? Start by opening hips, knees, ankles and core now.
  • Planning long hikes under golden aspens? A strong, supple back and a breath-aware routine are your best gear.
  • Eyeing travel or winter play with grandkids? A holistic, fascia-first regimen will carry you through it all, helping you move better for longer.

By focusing on intentional structure, awareness, and practical mobility—rather than punishing reps or empty “grind” routines—you give your body the tools to keep saying YES to life, no matter the weather.

For guidance on staying fit no matter the season, check these Mayo Clinic tips for staying active year-round.

How to Transition This Labor Day

Labor Day isn’t just the end of summer—it’s your invitation to move into fall and winter with purpose, building the underlying strength and mobility that powers every hike, ski, or backyard game ahead. If you’re ready to make these months your foundation (and not just a “reset”), the SolCore approach is distinct: holistic, osteopathic-driven, and fascia-focused—all designed for real people, real change, real fun.

Follow the Thread—Where Movement, Fascia, and Freedom Align
Find more insight, reflection, and fascia-informed care:

LinkedIn

Facebook

Bluesky

Pinterest

Instagram

YouTube

Strength and Proprioception: You Can’t Strengthen What You Can’t Feel

Strength and proprioception are more connected than most people realize.
You’ve been told to get stronger. And maybe you’ve tried…
But here’s the thing no one tells you:
You can’t strengthen what you can’t feel.

If your body’s sensory map is fuzzy — if the nervous system can’t accurately locate joints, muscles, or tension — then you’re not building strength. You’re reinforcing confusion.

When the Signal’s Off, So Is the Output

That means:

  • The wrong muscles doing the work
  • Extra tension where you don’t need it
  • And a body that gets tighter, not stronger

This is why traditional strength training often fails people with chronic pain or poor posture. It piles output on top of dysfunction.

The nervous system is always prioritizing safety. And it won’t let you generate real force from an unsafe map.

Real Strength Starts with Signal Clarity

That’s where proprioception comes in — your body’s sense of position and movement. And it’s not just in the muscles… it’s in the fascia.

Fascia is one of the body’s most proprioceptive organs — a network of sensory receptors, both introceptive and extroceptive, woven throughout your entire structure.

To train it, we don’t start with load. We start with input.

That’s why methods like:

  • Segmental strengthening (precise isometric loading to re-educate joint control)
  • ELDOA (decompression to create space and normalize tension)
  • Myofascial Stretching (length + tension reset through fascial chains)
  • Proprioception exercises (low-load, high-precision training to refine joint feedback)

…form the foundation of intelligent strength development.

They wake up the system. They create clarity. And that’s what allows true strength to build.

From Signal to Strength — The Science Behind the Shift

Real strength doesn’t start with muscle. It starts with mapping.

According to Hill’s Muscle Model, force output depends on more than just fiber length and tension — it also relies on neural coordination and proprioceptive input. If the body can’t feel itself accurately, it can’t produce efficient force.

Your introceptors (internal signals: breath, organ tone, intra-abdominal pressure) and extroceptors (external cues: joint angles, balance, spatial orientation) work together to create a somatic map in the brain.

When that map is distorted, strength gets sloppy and injury risk climbs.
But when the map is clear?

  • Your system becomes more efficient
  • Force transfer improves
  • Strength becomes sustainable — not just performative

Fascia doesn’t just surround muscles — it interweaves with them.
It wraps around every muscle fiber, including actin and myosin, and envelopes the proprioceptors themselves — like muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs.

So when you train fascially — through decompression, tension normalization, segmental loading, and lengthened isometrics — you’re not just building strength…

You’re upgrading the entire system that strength depends on.

Related Resources:

📎 Internal Link: What Makes Holistic Fitness Actually Work
📖 External Source: FASCIA AS A SENSORY ORGAN: Clinical Applications (Schleip)

Ready to train from the inside out?
👉 Book your free 30–45 min strategy call and learn how to build sustainable strength from your structure up.

Follow the Thread—Where Movement, Fascia, and Freedom Align

Find more insight, reflection, and fascia-informed care across the platforms where we stay connected:

Facebook

Blue Sky

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Unlocking the Power of the Squat Exercise

The squat exercise is one of the seven primal movements. But unlike the others, a properly executed squat is the only one that can directly improve your posture.

Most people learn to squat the wrong way. Fitness classes, trainers, and online videos often pass down bad form like it’s tradition. Challenges like “100 squats a day” only reinforce poor patterns. They don’t teach you how to move—they teach your body how to compensate.

That’s a problem.

Click the image to watch the full video.

Why the Squat Exercise Matters So Much

A squat isn’t just for building legs or glutes. It’s a global movement that involves your whole body working together. In fact, it’s made up of multiple smaller systems working in harmony—from your pelvic floor to your jaw.

Done right, it’s one of the most powerful tools you have for long-term strength, mobility, and posture.

Done wrong, it becomes a slow leak—wearing down your body over years until the damage is finally too loud to ignore.

Most People Are Taught the Squat All Wrong

When I started training back in my teens, I was told to arch my back, stick my butt out, and look up. It felt powerful—but it placed massive stress on my lower back and neck. I didn’t feel pain for years. But by the time I hit 35, that form had helped cause a spinal issue and sciatic pain.

That’s how compensation patterns work. You don’t feel them until they’ve done damage.

And unfortunately, a lot of fitness systems still teach that exact form today.

The Squat and Posture: A Unique Relationship

Unlike bending, pushing, or pulling, the squat uses and improves your posture—if done correctly.

Your postural system is made up of:

  • The Plumb Line (ear, shoulder, hip, knee, ankle alignment)
  • The Gravity Line (a 4-degree cone rising from your pubic bone)

The squat interacts with both. If your plumb line is off, squatting can make things worse. But if you squat with awareness and alignment, it actually helps reinforce your posture inside that gravity cone.

What It Takes to Do a Proper Squat Exercise

The squat is built from many parts. Each part needs to function independently before it can function together.

Here’s what that means:

✅ The Beam Phenomenon

Your torso needs to move like a solid beam—no wobble. That requires training your:

  • Pelvic floor
  • Abs (especially lower abs)
  • Diaphragm
  • Lats
  • Pecs
  • Fascia in the mouth and throat

✅ Foot and Ankle Mechanics

Your feet are your foundation. A weak or collapsed arch (especially at the navicular bone) throws off everything above. You may need arch support or proper shoes when lifting heavy.

✅ Pelvic Tuck and Knee Drive

A good squat is knee-dominant. That means knees move first—not hips.

At the same time, keep your pelvis tucked and chin tucked to stay in the beam. This requires both abdominal strength and fascial flexibility in the back.

If your soleus and calves are tight, your heels will lift and stop your knees from driving forward. So you may need to stretch and strengthen your calves to get full range.

Learning to Squat Means Slowing Down

If you’re constantly focused on performance or fat loss, you’re not giving your body the time it needs to learn proper form. And in a class environment, correcting your form often isn’t the priority.

That’s like trying to learn typing by mashing keys as fast as possible without learning the keyboard.

It’s not a matter of willpower—it’s just bad input. And bad input = bad output.

Good Squat = Good Life

Learning how to do a proper squat gives you a relationship with your body.

You’ll learn where you’re tight, where you’re weak, and where you’ve been compensating without even knowing it. And when you address those things, your body responds.

You get stronger. You feel better. You age slower.

Want Help With Your Squat?

I’ve helped thousands of people reconnect to their bodies through correct, holistic training. Here’s how you can start:

You’ve been given a body that can last 90+ years. The squat exercise is one of the best ways to take care of it.

Let’s make sure you’re doing it right.

it’s not just working out, it’s building a foundation for a better life.

Find out more @

Facebook

BlueSky

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Training For An Enjoyable Ski Season

Ski Season Training

Ski Season Preseason Training: Get Ready Before the Snow Falls

I know… you may think this blog is a little on the early side, considering we’re days away from Labor Day. But if you’re like me, then your body has felt the consequences of an unprepared ski season launch. It’s never too early to begin ski season preseason training.

If you love skiing as much as I do. In that case, you’ll want your body to be functional and resilient when you step onto the slopes because the last thing you want is to spend the first part of your season battling sore muscles, nagging injuries, or worse—sitting out after a preventable accident.

This guide will help you understand the key components of a good preseason training program, so you can hit the slopes strong, mobile, and ready.

Why Preseason Training Matters for Skiers

Skiing is demanding. It requires strength, endurance, balance, and joint stability. Going in cold—or assuming last year’s fitness will carry you—can leave you vulnerable to:

  • Knee injuries from poor force transfer
  • Lower back strain from weak core activation
  • Sore muscles from static holding positions
  • Reduced performance and early fatigue

Ski season preseason training ensures your body is primed before you carve into fresh powder.

1. Muscle Solicitation

Lots of muscle solicitation means having all your muscle fibers “turned on.” Skiing demands a ton from your quads, back, and abs. If you train these groups effectively, your nervous system will know it can call on them when needed.

Practical tip: add targeted strength exercises like squats, lunges, and rotational core work to activate the same muscles you’ll rely on in every turn.

2. Static Holding

When the forces in your body don’t transfer properly, pain shows up—usually in the knees and back. Balance training helps distribute forces efficiently so your movements flow instead of grinding.

A solid stretching program, combined with proprioceptive exercises, will keep your body aligned and responsive.

3. Body Balance

You want the forces in your body to transfer properly. If the forces in your body are not dissipating as they should, you’ll experience knee pain and back pain. A good stretching program will help your balance and help transfer forces efficiently throughout the body.

4. Joint Spacing

Healthy skiing requires open, mobile joints. When joints are compressed, your awareness, coordination, and fine motor performance suffer. Stretching and fascia-focused training improve joint spacing and help your body adapt to uneven terrain and quick shifts on the mountain.

Adding ELDOA-style exercises or myofascial release into your preseason program will make a big difference in joint health and overall performance.

Don’t Wait Until the First Snow

Be proactive in your preseason preparations—stop procrastinating and start your ski season preseason training program now. Your body will thank you for fewer injuries, and you’ll thank yourself for improved performance and endurance.

Because in the end, this preparation is the difference between a short, painful, grueling season and a long, enjoyable, successful one.

Start strong now, and you’ll be having fun from the very first run.

Get started early with Custom-Built Ski Training Programs

Find out more @

Facebook

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Instagram

Youtube

Bluesky