Skydiving is a physically demanding sport and like any physical activity, it is much easier to damage your body if you do not prepare your body properly.
Especially for those learning to skydive for the first time, there is a range of muscles required for the stable body position and moves required through your course which don’t otherwise get used in daily life.
Stretching helps prepare your body for the physical activity it is about to go through, by offering some of the following benefits:
- Relaxes your body
- Helps your coordination and allows for easier movement
- Gives you a greater range of motion
- Increases your body awareness
- Improves circulation so if you do damage your body it will repair quicker
Stretching can take a long time but it can also be a short 10 minutes in the morning. The following is a short and basic stretching routine to help you prepare yourself before you head to the drop zone.
Stretches for skydivers
You should try to do this routine every morning to get the best effect.
Start off by making sure you are warm; a hot shower to warm you up in the morning can help. This routine includes stretches targeting the most common sticking points for skydiving students.
Lunging hip flexor stretch
a. Kneel on your right knee. Place your left foot flat on the floor in front of you, knee bent
b. Lean forward, stretching your right hip toward the floor
c. Squeeze your butt; this will allow you to stretch your hip flexor even more
d. Hold for 30 seconds to 2 minutes
e. Switch sides and repeat
Cobra (yoga pose)
a. Lie flat on your belly
b. Bend your arms and rest your palms on the floor on either side of your chest
c. Lift your chest off the ground by straightening your arms
d. Keep your head high
e. engage the gluteals and back muscles as you curl the chest up away from the floor, supporting the shape with your arms
f. Hold the pose for a couple breaths, then release your body back towards the floor
Pectoral stretch
a. Stand against the outer corner of a room or in a doorway. Bend your right elbow at a 90-degree angle so your upper arm is parallel to the floor at shoulder height
b. Place your right forearm against the corner of the wall with your left side open to the room
c. Gently press into your right forearm as you lean your left side into the open space of the doorway or room to feel a stretch in your right pec. Hold 15 to 20 seconds and repeat on the other side
Resting squat position
a. Stand straight up and place your feet at shoulder width
b. Squat down until you cannot go any lower
c. Maintain weight on heels throughout, do not allow your heels to come off the floor
d. make sure you keep a straight spine
e. place both arms at the inside of your legs
f. hold the position for at least 20 seconds
Knee to chest stretch
a. Lie on your back keeping your spine flat to the floor and look up at the ceiling
b. Start with one leg, bend it at the knee and pull it towards your chest until you feel a mild tension
c. Hold this position for 20 seconds and then move onto the other leg, taking a 10 second rest in between
Guidelines for stretching before skydiving
It’s important to use good form when stretching before skydiving. A good stretch shouldn’t hurt and if it does, you’re doing it wrong!
You should feel comfortable in your stretch, feeling a mild tension in the area that your are stretching. You should never bounce into a stretch; take your time and ease into it. If you do not feel comfortable attempting this routine then you should seek advice from a sports therapist or other suitably qualified professional.
How fit do I need to be to skydive?
Skydiving is a physical sport and in order to learn to skydive successfully, you will need to adopt the stable body position and to be able to do moves such as deploying your own parachute, which requires good movement in your shoulders.
Being physically fit makes this much easier, so we do encourage you to use exercise tips like those shared in this post to give you the best chance of success.
Of course, not everyone is as supple as others, and we appreciate there are different body shapes and types which are able to be very successful skydivers. Our team of experts will help you to achieve your skydiving goals and advise you along the way on how to make that journey as comfortable as possible.