Ski Fitness
Whether you are a novice or an experienced skier, you will benefit greatly and enjoy your skiing more if you are fitter.
Because of this, this article is repeated in the experienced section also.
This 'circuit' of exercises is designed to be done in a small room of your house:- bedroom, lounge or even bathroom.
The author of this article, Geoff Mitchell, was a PE teacher for 20 years and in that time coached the decathlon squads of both Great Britain & Thailand.
He regularly took classes to get skiers ready for their annual exertions.
Before going through the following exercises - a few observations:-
a) It is a good idea to get yourself fitter before going skiing. Even very fit people will find these exercises useful as they will be utilising muscles that they would not normally use during everyday life. For beginners it is absolutely essential. The first three days of side stepping up and down a slope, standing on the sides of your feet, and using rope and button tows will be extremely strenuous for you. When you become a more advanced skier you will get rests between exertions by sitting on a chair lift or in a gondola.
b) Depending on your basic state of fitness you should start these exercises a minimum of two weeks in advance of your ski trip. - the earlier the better.
c) the exercises you do should be specific and progressive. As skiing is mainly legs, but also exerts your upper body. The exercises should be mainly for your legs with some upper body thrown in.
d) You can spend a lot of money going to gyms and fitness clubs but, as stated, the exercises I’ve put together are devised to be done at home or in a hotel bedroom. Swimming, walking, running, etc are great for your general fitness but not specific enough for skiing. (Plus they mean leaving your house in possibly the worst weather of the winter) So, try these at home.
e) The suggested dosage (reps) is only arbitrary. If you try these exercises and find it too much then reduce the dose. Fit sportsmen will find the dose much too easy, so increase dose.
However, if you are struggling with the suggested dosage the day before going skiing - you are going to struggle skiing. To enjoy your skiing fully you need to be fit. Don’t give up - work on it !
EIGHT SKI FITNESS EXERCISES to enoy ?!?!
Repeat twice - should only take you twenty minutes. Do for three days and rest on the fourth.
As you get fitter work for six days and rest on seventh (Happy Sunday!)
There are four exercises for the legs, two for the arms, two for the stomach/back. Always keep in the order prescribed.
To begin with, do a general warm up for five minutes of jogging or skipping on the spot, then roll arms, stretch neck, touch floor with legs flexed.
Then,
1/. Hold on to the edge of a table, desk, work top, towel rail etc. and put yourself into a sking position - hands forward, knees flexed. Keeping your hands forward (down the valley !!!) push both knees as far as you can to the left (as if parallel turning). This should bring you up onto you toes. Hold for four seconds, the repeat for the right hand side. First time do this for ten repetions / five each side and the add two repetitions each day.
2/. Lie on your back on a bed, or a couch, and dangle your legs (from the bum downwards) over the edge. Lift your straight legs just above horizontal and keeping one leg straight bend the other up towards the chest (as far as feels comfortable). Bring it back slowly to join the straight leg then bend the other towards the chest. That’s one repetition (rep) completed. Do five reps on the first day and increase by one rep every day.3
3/. Stand upright, one foot in front of other, and, without bending the trunk, touch both hands on floor by bending legs. Then quickly straighten legs which will create a slight hop off floor. Whilst slightly airborne change feet so the other one is forward as you land and touch the floor again without bending trunk.
That’s one repetition (rep) completed. Do five reps on the first day and increase by one rep every day.
4/. Stand (to attention) upright. Take arms straight outwards from your side so they are parallel to the floor (crucifix postion). Point both index fingers and draw a one inch circle with them - increase to two inches, then three, four, five six, - until your hands are drawing a one metre circle. At that point reverse the swing so that you are gradually reducing the circle back to an inch. When you come to a stop, hold the arms in that position for five seconds. Increase this hold each day by two seconds.
5/. Stand with your back against a wall or door and slide down it until your thighs are just above parallel to the floor. Hold this position for fifteen seconds. That’s it ! Done !
Add two seconds hold every day.
6/. Still against wall or door, face it and put hands on with arms outstretched. Move feet back 30 cm (one foot length) and bend arms until forehead touches wall. Push back to starting position.
That’s one rep of completed. Do ten reps on the first day and increase by two reps every day. When you can comfortably do thirty reps. see how many press ups you can do from floor from kneeling position and later from full position.
7/. Put a small soft object on floor (eg wallet, etc.) and stand with feet together to the side of it. Keeping the feet together hop across to the other side of it, and then back.
That’s one rep completed. Do five reps on the first day and increase by one rep every day.
8/. Back to the bed, or a couch, this time on your front; again dangle your legs (from the hips downwards) over the edge.Lift your straight legs just above horizontal (slightly arching your back) then slowly push both legs sideways as far as they go. Bring the legs back together fairly quickly so they cross. Take them out again and bring them back so they cross again but this time with the other leg uppermost.
That’s one rep of back flutters completed. Do five reps on the first day and increase by one rep every day.
If you find these exercises really difficult - you will find any skiing, except for plodding about, strenuous.
If you want to really enjoy your skiing start these exercises well before your holiday, and repeat them at least three times a week. The more the better - but within reason. Too much can leave you too jaded to enjoy your trip. rest days are as important as training days. If you are fairly fit already then one days rest a week would be alright - but if you are really unfit then begin your first week by resting on alternate days, second week of two days training next day rest, and final week before skiing only two rest days (both taken together just before departure so that you feel strong & refreshed for the imminent exertions.)