WOW, it’s that time of year again. The white stuff is starting to fall across the Alps and Rockies, and for those that ski, we are looking forward to that much loved and addictive winter ski holiday. How many times when you have hit the slopes have you asked yourself why didn’t you spend more time getting in shape before you arrived? You hobble down to breakfast on day 2 because your calves and hamstrings won’t move. Or maybe you worked out for a couple of weeks and you make it to the first run of the 3rd day before your legs start burning and all you can think of is finding the nearest mountain restaurant and having a nice warm drink.
Well, lets hold that thought. Without proper training it’s not just about wasted skiing hours or keeping up with your friends. Not being strong and fit makes it more likely that you’ll fall and suffer an injury that’ll put you on the sidelines for the whole season.
If you are skiing early season, you only have 6 weeks of preparation time. Ideally look at 6-8 weeks for optimum benefits.
Focus on legs and core strength. Getting strong through general activity is not really sufficient. Make every second of your training count and focus on these 5 elements.
Joint Mobility
If the feet and ankles are moving well, it means that we will have less pressure through the feet and may help to alleviate that dreaded burning sensation that is all too frequent in the balls of the feet and the toes.
If the hips and pelvis are nice and mobile the strain on the lower back is greatly minimised.
Remember by having good mobility you will be able to achieve a more efficient skiing position.
Flexibility
Increase your flexibility and not only will this will help you to move more easily but will increase your strength as a tight muscle is an inhibited one. It will also make you a more versatile skier.
Flexible muscles will mean that you can go through the skiing motions with ease and efficiency, and therefore it feels less tiring.
Ironically flexibility is particularly important if you do take a fall, when your limbs may be thrown around to the extremes.
Balance
Balance is essential for everyday life as well as skiing. It is something that we don’t really spend much conscious time on when we train, but every time that we walk or run we balance on either one or both legs. Remember your first moments on skis and how difficult it was just to stay balanced and upright (or maybe you have that experience to come this season?).
Now if we were efficient then perhaps going down an easy green slope and we lift one ski, we wouldn’t immediately want to stamp it straight back down to alleviate that inevitable tumble.
With good balance (and a strong core) you can avoid falling, improve your posture and enhance your performance. Being balanced over your skis will mean that you can recover quickly on an uneven piste – in deep snow, crud or bumps – and therefore mean you can negotiate more demanding pistes.
How balanced are you?
Our new Beam Fit classes are a fantastic way to prepare for skiing.
Core Strength
The dynamic workhouse that controls both the arms and more importantly the legs (skis). Take off your arms, legs and head and whet is left is essentially the core. This involves the shoulder blades and pelvis too. Small-range exercises that pull in the tummy are pretty superficial. We must train all of the musculature that attaches to it. Essentially, we must engage the core muscles when we do any movement. A weak core means poor leg control which means poor performance and an early knock off to apres-ski.
Leg Strength
Without any level of leg strength it is impossible to make it through the early days of skiing. This can make or break a ski holiday. Consider the expense of having ski lessons. Do you want to get value for money or just join the ski-snake to the bottom of each run? Get the quads, glutes, hamstrings and calfs in tip top condition to get the most out of your skiing.
So, with a little nudge in the right direction, get yourself fit this winter. Consider joining a ski specific circuit class or have some one to one or buddy personal training with a friend.