There is nothing quite as exciting as heading out to the mountains for a great skiing adventure. The crunch of newly fallen snow under your boots, the smell of all that fresh air, the fantastic scenery, and the exhilaration of skiing down the mountain and hoping you have the skill to stay upright. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional, you will have the time of your life on the slopes. However, to make the most of it, here are some tips on how to get in shape for your next skiing adventure.
Practice
If you haven’t been skiing for a while, your skills may be a little rusty. It is a good idea to hit the dry slopes for a little practice before your trip. These are usually easier to find than traditional ski slopes unless you happen to live in the mountains. Practicing on a dry slope will help you to get in shape for your adventure and many dry ski centres offer lessons and pointers which will help you make the most of your trip.
Book an instructor for a few refresher lessons. An instructor will help you brush up on your technique, so you can hit the slopes without fear of making a complete fool of yourself.
Improve Your Stamina
Your stamina will make a great difference to your enjoyment of the trip. If you have no stamina, you will be tired after skiing down a mountain or two, whereas if you have a lot of stamina, you will be able to keep going all day. You don’t have to ski to improve your stamina. Exercises such as running, swimming, or cycling will increase your stamina and get you fit for your skiing adventure.
Start training around 2-3 months before your trip. Work on building your cardio fitness levels. If you haven’t worked out in ages, start slowly to avoid injury. Running is a great way to build cardio fitness but it’s also high-risk for injury. Depending on how unfit you are, it might be sensible to start with a Couch25K program and work up to 30 continuous minutes of running over eight weeks. If you are already reasonably fit, adapt a training program to your current fitness level.
If the weather is poor and running or walking outdoors isn’t appealing, put in a session at the gym. Elliptical trainers replicate the movement of skiing and are a good cardio workout.
Improve Your Flexibility
Skiing can be hard on your joints and if you want to be good at it, you need to be flexible. This will help you to manage turns and navigate the mountain slopes more easily. You can improve your flexibility by practicing yoga and stretching exercises before you go.
Build Muscle Strength
Skiing is a whole-body workout that can be hard on your muscles, especially if you are new to it or don’t get to practice enough. Build your muscles through strength training exercises so that your body won’t be too sore after your first day. If you can’t get out of bed on day two, you won’t be able to go skiing. Lifting weights is a great way to make sure your body has the strength it needs to enjoy a few days on the slopes.
To get the best out of your weight training exercise, you can try a product like Turk which helps you to build muscle mass quickly, improves your strength, and shortens your recovery time.
Improve Your Core Strength
Strengthening your core is important if you want to be in shape for your next skiing adventure. You use your core muscles for strength and stability and the stronger they are, the stronger your leg muscles will be too. Strengthen your core with exercises such as sit-ups, press-ups, and the plank position.
You can also strengthen your core with cardiovascular exercises such as cycling or hill walking. Hiking is also an excellent exercise for skiers, as hiking over uneven ground targets the core muscles exceptionally well since your body has to work harder to stabilize your hips, legs, ankles, and feet.
Breathing
Being able to breathe deeply will help you to get in shape and give your body the oxygen it needs for such a physical workout. Don’t forget that the altitude at your ski resort might be very different from what you are used to at home. The stronger your lungs are, the better your body will be able to cope with the changes in the air and the increase in exercise. Practice some breathing exercises to help you keep your lungs in great shape.
Use these six tips to help you get in shape for your next skiing adventure and help you to prevent injury. Have fun.
Tagged with;
