Fitness for Skiing
Getting ready for the ski season
With winter on the horizon, many of us are dreaming about skiing. While some people may already be in good shape from the season on the other side of the word or other activities like biking or hiking, or maybe even running, others might need to put in some extra work before hitting the slopes this season. So, what kind of preparation should you do? And how do you choose which exercises will best prepare your body for a day of downhill fun?
Cardiovascular training
Cardiovascular training is important for endurance and helps you to train your heart, lungs and muscles. Training in a variety of ways can give your body the extra stamina needed to operate in cold environments at higher-than-normal altitude for longer.
It's recommended that you exercise for at least 30 minutes per day or two hours total per week. You can choose to do this in the gym, outside or at home on your own time with minimal equipment needed. Cardiovascular exercises such as running, cycling, swimming, and climbing stairs are great ways to build up strength and stamina quickly so that when it comes time to hit the slopes again this winter season, you'll be ready! It's also important not just for skiers but anyone who wants to be healthy overall - even if they're not planning on skiing anytime soon! (Although they really should!)
Strength training
When it comes to strength training, you want to build muscle, and not just any muscle. You want to work on the muscles that are most important for skiing.
• Squats are a great exercise for building lower body strength. Make sure you have proper form by keeping your back straight and knees behind toes as you squat down and then stand back up again. Your legs, particularly the quads and glutes, are helping you turn the skis!
• Push-ups are another great exercise that will also work on upper body strength as well as core stability (the ability of your torso to support itself). Start by getting down on all fours, with hands directly under shoulders and knees under hips. Slowly lower yourself down until chest almost touches floor (you should feel a slight stretch in chest muscles), then push yourself back up again until arms are fully extended overhead once more—that completes one repetition!
• Plank – is another great exercise for strengthening the core muscles. And yes, you will need to engage your core in your skiing. Stabilising your upper body will make you a much better skier by allowing you to keep your upper body towards the downhill and giving you the dynamism required to remain balanced and in control.
Flexibility
Flexibility and mobility aresome of the most important aspects of skiing and it's something that all ski instructors stress. You need to have a good level of flexibility and mobility in your legs, shoulders, lower back and hips to be able to control your body while you're skiing down the slopes. While flexibility looks at the ability to lengthen your muscle, mobility is the ability to move your joints though a wide range of motion.
The best thing that you can do is try to go for classes at a yoga or pilates studio near you. You should also start doing some stretching exercises at home before getting on the slopes as well as after each session on the snow. This will help prevent muscle fatigue and keep you injury-free during winter sports season.
A ski fitness program must be balanced to achieve the best results. The following exercises are designed for this purpose. They can be performed with equipment or without, depending on your level of ability and physical condition.
Cardiovascular Training:
• Jogging in place
• Running around a track
• Swimming laps in a pool
• Cycling
• Walking
Strength Training:
• Push-ups—Shoulders/Back Muscles
• Bench Presses—Chest Muscles, Triceps, Neck Muscles (standing or sitting)
• Squats – weighted or not
• Plank
• Foot strengthening exercises (toe curls, toe pickups, or even walking in sand)
Flexibility and Mobility Exercises:
• Seated bends (forward or lateral)
Conclusion
We hope this article has given you some ideas for how to prepare for skiing and the ski season. Remember that fitness is more than just one thing, and it can take many forms! We recommend that you start by making sure you have a well-balanced program with aerobic exercise (cardio), strength training exercises such as squats or deadlifts, flexibility work like stretching or yoga poses, bodyweight exercises like push-ups which address all three of these areas in one go. See you on the slopes!
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