Important Tips on Skiing Fitness

Skiing Fitness is usually an order before one goes skiing.  Just as with any other strenuous outdoor activity, precautions must be taken to ensure that the person is mentally and physically ready for this challenge.  Actually, skiing is slightly more dangerous than most other sports, so it is imperative that the skier be in optimal physical condition.  Skiing requires a great deal of commitment and discipline.  No, it is certainly not impossible to learn, but it does take effort.  You must strengthen all the parts of your body and do so months in advance of the first run (at least 2-3 months) so that you will not be suffering from fatigue when you are on the hills. 

Undergoing skiing fitness regimens will help you to ski better and to have smoother body motion, which directly influences your ability to move and change directions.  There are three basic areas of skiing exercise: improving your flexibility, improving your strength and improving your endurance.  General strength training helps you to keep a steady “static” position when you ski.  If you ever notice the skiers in competition, you will see that they all seem to be in semi-seated position at all times. 

This takes incredible strength!  Greater muscular strength also helps your ability to remain in control at all times and to handle fast changes in direction.  If you have no strength training then you will probably have little control over your movements, feel exhausted early on and be sore as heck the next day.  What can help increase your strength in skiing fitness?  Try hiking, biking and other active sports. Pay special attention to your quadriceps, as these muscles will be taxed the most in real skiing.

Flexibility and Aerobics

Next, consider the importance of flexibility.  This factor is the single most important one in preventing ski injuries.  Obviously, there have been some very high profile cases of ski injuries in recent years.  If more newcomers would take time to properly train their flexibility, then fewer injuries would happen.  Flexibility allows you greater control over your body and lets you make faster and smoother turns, regardless of terrain or your position.  Improving flexibility involves enhancing the ability of the muscle-connective tissue to extend but without compressing the joints. 

What can help in this regard?  Skiing fitness training would focus on stretching exercises.  The skier will stretch all muscle groups for 30 seconds (a full 30 seconds for each group) before and after intensive workouts.  You should especially highlight your upper leg areas, your back, hips and shoulders.  You should also be careful when exercising tendons and ligaments around your joints.  Yes, you want better flexibility but they must remain strong, otherwise they could be injured quite easily.

The next area to consider in skiing fitness is that of endurance, or more specifically, cardiovascular or aerobic endurance.  This involves not strength training but the ability to maintain high levels of exercise for an extended period of time.  Aerobic exercise, in general, should be done 3-5 times a week, and last from 30-45 minutes.  However, if you want to ski for an entire day then you really have to “up the ante” when it comes to aerobic training.  Aerobic exercises, when done successful, increase a person’s heart rate to 120 heartbeats per minute. 

What types of exercise can help in a skiing fitness routine?  If you like the outdoors then try going skating, swimming, and bicycle riding.  Rollerblading is also a fun sport.  When you take part in these active sports you actually use the same muscles as you would when in motion on a ski run.  If you don’t have access to the outdoors you could try some electronic sports such as Nintendo’s Wii-Fit or Dance, Dance Revolution, which are at least good for accelerating the heart rate.

Just the same, it is important that you consult a fitness trainer or a doctor before embarking on an intensive physical program.  You don’t want to strain yourself by working out too hard too soon, but want to start with a medium-level work out and then progress up to a more difficult level.  A physician or fitness trainer can advise you what type of exercise program would be ideal for your body weight and lifestyle.  A doctor could also examine your medical history and determine if there are any possible risks. 

Other Helpful Exercises

One of the most common exercises you will run across searching for a skiing fitness routine is that of upper and lower core training.  Upper and lower core training help you to improve your stability, strength, coordination, and agility all in three planes of movement.  Upper and lower core muscles attach in groups and help to provide a stable platform for the extremities to work off of; in essence, they protect the rest of your body from injury. 

One of the ways you can pursue in upper/lower core training is by using 3-D Ball & Band.  Advantages to this inexpensive exercise device includes a better posture, enhanced endurance, more power, great athleticism, improved joint and muscle position sense, improved ability to disassociate extremities, improved stability, improved dynamic balance and better movement efficiency.  There are many fun exercises that can be performed with a 3-D ball, and it is very effective in skiing fitness.

You must also give attention to your diet.  In the preceding months before the skiing trip, particularly if you are out of shape, try and eat a well-balanced meal.  Furthermore, it always helps to natural energy foods like fruits and vegetables, as skiing can be an exhausting sport.  When you come to ski you come for an entire week or at least a day, so you have to be well rested, well fed and well toned for an explosive day of superfast travel! 

Even when you do start to ski you don’t want to overtax yourself.  Even though you have trained for this moment in your skiing fitness regime for the past three months you still want to take it one step at a time and work your way up to longer runs or to spectacular ski jumps.  Be safe and enjoy yourself—but never at the expense of your health!

Spread The Word!

Facebook Digg Twitter Stumbleupon