Are you ready to make fresh tracks this winter?

Are you ready to make fresh tracks this winter?

Skiing and snowboarding are two of the most popular winter sports, and for good reason. They are a great way to get exercise, enjoy the outdoors, and bond with friends and family. However, it is important to be prepared before you hit the slopes, as both sports can be dangerous if you are not properly equipped or trained.

Skiing is a fantastic whole body workout and combines cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and flexibility so it is vitally important that we prepare our bodies for a physically demanding week (or more if you’re lucky!) as we move towards the ski season. The need for appropriate levels of strength, endurance and coordination will help you make the most out of everyday, so that you don’t get that thigh burn by day three! Ideally, physical preparation should start from 6-12 weeks before you go.

Ensuring that your cardiovascular system is ready for what can potentially be 4-6 hours of sustained physical activity each day will mean that you can ski longer, recover more quickly and reduce the risk of injury.

Aim to incorporate 30-60 minutes of aerobic activity at least three times per week - this can be any activity you enjoy (cycling, running, rowing) that raises your heart rate to approximately 50-60% of your max.

As skiing uses a lot of muscles groups that don’t get much action in daily life, flexibility is another key part of reducing injury risk, improving recovery and preparing the body for different movement patterns. Pilates, yoga and dynamic stretching are a great way to warm the body up before a day on the slopes as well as aiding recovery at the end of the day.

Finally, incorporating some simple, specific strength exercises into your fitness routine will help your ‘skiing muscles’ to adapt to the extra load that they’ll be subjected to. Start steady and build up as they (hopefully) get easier in the weeks preceding your ski trip.

Check out the video below, where Sam shows us 5 exercises that you can do at home to help you prepare.

The following five exercises are all bodyweight but you can add weights, perform more repetitions or increase the frequency to make sure they’re working! Start with 2 rounds of 30s of each exercise and work up from there as necessary.

1 - Ski Jumps

2 - Wall Sits

3 - Squat

4 - Single Leg Glute Bridges

5 - Plank