Getting in Shape for Skiing
Five Quick Ways to Get Fit For Ski Season, at the Gym or at Home
Oct 22, 2009
Want to hit the slopes this winter? It's time to get moving. "If you're coming off the couch, it will take you six to eight weeks to get to the point where you can get on a ski slope and really enjoy yourself," says Jon Jodoin, a certified personal trainer in Beverly, Massachusetts, who trains clients for winter sports and skis at New England ski resorts himself. The good news: Skiers can burn up to 1500 calories a day having fun in the snow. "Your lower body absorbs the pounding of skiing from the waist down, and your upper body handles the poling and turning, making skiing a real total-body, intensive form of exercise," Jodoin says.
Get in Shape and Avoid Ski Injuries
Another good reason to lose the love handles before hitting the slopes: It helps prevent injury. According to KC Gandee, ski instructor at Okemo Resort in Vermont, increasing strength and flexibility is key to preventing common ski injuries. "Muscles become more elastic with exercise, and building muscles will help overcome poor technique," Gandee says. "No matter how good we are, there are always moments when we need power to overcome bad form."
A pre-season fitness program will also increase a skier's endurance for those first few days on the slopes, Gandee adds. "Your thighs won't be screaming for mercy after one run!"
Basic Workout Plan for Skiers
Jodoin recommends a strategy of basic strength training three to four times a week, followed by a cardio workout, "since cardio after strength will flush the lactic acid out of your body" to combat soreness.
Those who like using exercise machines should focus on the treadmill and cross-trainer, Jodoin says. On an exercise mat, at the gym or at home, do lateral jumps off an exercise step, jump-lunges from side to side, jumping jacks, and, especially, 10-15 reps of simple squats and push-ups, done in sets of three to four. To boost the benefits of squats, use small hand weights, or hold soup cans in your hands, Jodoin says. Warm up first, and exercise in all three planes of motion, he adds, since skiing isn't just about going forward, but about twisting and turning, too.
Core Workout for Skiers
"Most people don't realize how important the core muscles are for skiing and riding," Gandee says. "Crunches and leg raises are great for getting in shape for skiing. Abdominal muscles work best when they are bombarded, so do as many crunches and leg raises as you can, up to 25, and then rest 15 seconds, and do it again!" Start wtih three to five sets, and work up.
To cool down from the ab workout, Gandee suggests sitting on the floor with legs outstretched, and moving a ball from the left side of the body to the right side, and back again. "Bounce the ball on each side and keep both hips flat on the floor while you do this. Try 10 bounces on each side. It's great for your side oblique muscles."
More Fitness Tips for Skiers
"Go for a brisk walk and try to find some hills or stairs," Gandee says. Thirty minutes, three times a week is good. Five times is better. This will build stamina for the ski slopes. Those 30 minutes a day need not be all at once, Gandee says. Three sessions of ten minutes each are just as effective.
No time for exercise? "Try sneaking in 15 minutes of walking at the end of your lunch break," Gandee suggests. "Try for another 15 minutes before you hit the couch after work." And, in what may be his best suggestion yet, "Try doing crunches, body squats, and calf raises in front of the TV, since you will probably be there anyway!"
Sports that Help Skiers Get in Shape
Gandee's motto is, "If it's not fun, why do it?" So, he advises playing other sports to get into ski-worthy shape. "Try any sport that simulates the skills you would use on the snow, sports that involve looking ahead and planning a path, requiring hand-eye coordination and quick movements," he advises.
Racquetball and trail-running are good options. "Racquetball involves intense bursts and gets your heart rate up," he explains, "and trail-running is a lot like skiing and riding, since you have to look ahead and plan a route through, or around, obstacles, just like skiing the bumps or navigating slope traffic."
Get the Kids Fit for Skiing, Too
Make fitness a family affair, Gandee suggests. Kids enjoy children's ski programs more if they're fit. "Squats can be fun froggy hops, and calf-raises can be imaginary bug-squishing contests," he says. "Be imaginative, and reap the benefits when the kids want to go for more runs when you all hit the slopes."
Spend some time getting fit now, and those runs on the slopes will be more fun and less painful.
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