| If you exercise often, you'll begin to build your | | | | up and get in sync by doing the exercises during the |
| strength and enhance your endurance in the muscle | | | | week when you're not out skiing. If you ski on |
| groups used in downhill skiing. You'll be preparing | | | | Saturday and/or Sunday, do the skiing exercises on |
| yourself for the rigors of skiing in the expert zones | | | | Tuesdays and Thursdays. By exercising throughout |
| where both staying power and explosive power are | | | | the season, as well as skiing, you'll accelerate the |
| of the utmost importance. First, we'll get into the | | | | strength building process, and your performance will |
| why and when you need to exercise, before moving | | | | show a marked improvement. |
| onto the five essential elements of ski-specific | | | | Exercising in the Postseason |
| exercising. | | | | By exercising in the postseason you will maintain your |
| The ultimate body for an expert skier is powerful, | | | | fitness level that you worked hard to implement in |
| from strong ankles to strong shoulders, and every | | | | the preseason. Aspiring expert skiers need to impart |
| finely-tuned muscle in between. Remember the last | | | | continuity in their conditioning programs throughout |
| time you watched someone effortlessly weave | | | | the year. Once you become strong, you need to |
| through a mogul field and wondered, "How does he | | | | stay strong. |
| do that?" It's partly due to practice, and partly to the | | | | In addition, by participating in a ski-related exercise |
| body awareness and balance that strength training | | | | program from June to September, you'll be able to |
| provides. The expert skier, who is physically strong, | | | | ramp up much more quickly in the fall. The summer is |
| instinctively cues every part of his or her body. A fit | | | | also a good time to improve your cardiovascular |
| body is like a well-tuned sports car. It handles | | | | endurance. |
| effortlessly, acting on subtle intuitions. | | | | The Five Essentials of Ski-Specific Exercising |
| Skiing requires a number of athletic abilities including | | | | Flexibility, cardio, strength, balance, and power are |
| technical, physical, and mental skills. This article is all | | | | the five essential elements for the expert skier to |
| about the physical requirements of expert skiing. | | | | master. Let's consider each one of these |
| Future articles will deal with the technical aspects of | | | | requirements in turn. |
| all-terrain skiing, as well as establishing the right mind | | | | Flexibility: Your range of motion or mobility is of prime |
| set. But first, to ski strong you need to be strong. | | | | importance. Stretching to maintain muscle elasticity, |
| Why do ski exercises? | | | | which decreases with age, is vital for skiing. |
| If you think skiing exercises are just for serious | | | | Stretching for skiers will not be covered here, as we |
| skiers, think again. Strong muscles improve every | | | | have already dealt with this subject in a previous |
| skier's performance, whether he or she is a beginner, | | | | article entitled Ski Fitness for Recreational Skiers. |
| intermediate, advanced, or expert skier. For those | | | | Cardiovascular Endurance: Aerobic capacity is very |
| who feel they've reached a plateau in their skiing | | | | important to skiers so they have the stamina to ski |
| ability, ski exercises may provide the boost you need | | | | in the expert zones, and the endurance to ski all day |
| to reach the next level. | | | | long. If you wish to improve your cardiovascular |
| Few sports are as physically demanding as downhill | | | | fitness, try one of the following activities on three |
| skiing, especially skiing on moguls, in trees, and down | | | | nonconsecutive days per week. Perhaps it would be |
| steeps. Yet, many skiers hit the slopes after little or | | | | best to do your cardiovascular routine on Mondays, |
| no training in the preseason. They pay for it with | | | | Wednesdays, and Fridays, and your strength, |
| sore muscles, but that's only the beginning. The lack | | | | balance, and power exercises on Tuesdays and |
| of good physical fitness also increases the chances of | | | | Thursdays. |
| injury. The most common ski injuries are joint related, | | | | - Lap swimming, 25 laps to begin with, increase to 50 |
| and the best way to protect joints is by building | | | | laps |
| muscle. Strong muscles stabilize your joints and, in | | | | - Brisk walking for at least 30 minutes, preferably 45 |
| turn, enable you to control your skis. | | | | minutes |
| In light of the above, this article focuses on building | | | | - Jogging, 15 to 20 minutes, but no more |
| the muscle groups around the joints that skiing taxes | | | | - Rowing machine, 15 to 20 minutes |
| the most, including the knees, hips, and ankles. For | | | | - Treadmill, 15 to 20 minutes |
| the knee and ankle joints, we'll be dealing with the | | | | - Cross-country skiing |
| upper leg muscles, including the quads and hamstrings, | | | | - Cycling, short sprints are best |
| as well as the lower leg muscles, most noticeably the | | | | - Inline skating, long distances and short sprints are |
| calves and Achilles tendons. For the hip joints, we'll be | | | | best |
| concerned with the core, namely, the hip flexors, | | | | Strength and Endurance: Muscular strength improves |
| glutes, abdominals, groin, and lower back muscles. | | | | the expert skier's ability to relax, yet still maintain |
| Doing the downhill skiing exercises on a regular basis | | | | control, and to handle the quick adjustments needed |
| will make your skiing a lot easier, as well as take your | | | | in all-terrain skiing. The movements in alpine skiing |
| skill set to the next level, because you will: | | | | include all the major muscle groups, so total body |
| - Build muscle strength in your legs, core, and upper | | | | muscular strength is of prime importance. You'll want |
| body | | | | to do exercises that strengthen your entire body. |
| - Enhance muscle endurance and staying power for | | | | With this in mind, target the following ski exercises |
| those long runs that never seem to end | | | | and muscle groups: |
| - Increase your cardiovascular endurance so you can | | | | - Essential exercises for the legs - quadriceps, |
| ski all day long | | | | hamstrings, hips, calves, and ankles |
| - Improve your stability and balance in all types of | | | | - Essential exercises for the center - abdominals, hip |
| terrain and snow conditions | | | | flexors, glutei, and lower back |
| - Help your foot-to-foot quickness in the tight, tree | | | | Stability and Balance: Why should you care about |
| runs | | | | balance? Well, for starters, it's the basic skill needed |
| - Add explosive power for those short, intensive | | | | in practically every sport. Changing your center of |
| bursts in the mogul fields | | | | gravity to match your moves is the key to efficiency |
| - Avoid sore muscles, injuries, and spills | | | | in sport. Good balance can help you keep your form |
| When should you do ski exercises? | | | | when you encounter changing terrain and snow |
| Exercising can be done any time you feel like it. | | | | conditions. The result is better skiing and fewer spills. |
| However, in the context of the sport of downhill | | | | Slight deviations in terrain often require subtle |
| skiing, I recommend you begin exercising at home, | | | | adjustments in your balance to avoid injury. To |
| two to three months prior to the start of the ski | | | | enhance your stability and balance, target the |
| season. If your season kicks off in December, try to | | | | following muscle groups: |
| begin your preseason conditioning program in late | | | | - Essential exercises for the center - abdominals, hip |
| September. | | | | flexors, glutei, and lower back |
| Exercising in the Preseason | | | | Fortunately, the exercises that help improve stability |
| However, if you're already involved in a ski-related | | | | and balance work to build muscle strength and |
| conditioning program during the summer months, you'll | | | | endurance in the core, all at the same time. This can |
| be able to shorten you're fall program from three | | | | be seen if you look back at the previous topic, |
| months to about six weeks. In addition, you should | | | | Strength and Endurance. |
| do your ski exercises on three nonconsecutive days | | | | Power and Quickness: To improve your reflexes and |
| each week. This will allow 48 hours between | | | | foot-to-foot quickness, you need dynamic, |
| successive work-outs. The muscle groups will have | | | | ski-specific drills from lateral training that simulate the |
| plenty of time to recover. | | | | actual movements you do on the ski hill. With this in |
| Does this seem like a lot of work? At first, it will be. | | | | mind, we've included five jumping exercises, which |
| But after your first runs of the season, you'll be | | | | are also called plyometrics, as the essential exercises |
| amazed at how much easier it is to link smooth, | | | | to improve your foot-to-foot quickness and |
| short-radius turns from top-to-bottom, all day long. | | | | explosive power. |
| You'll look back up the hill and smile, knowing that | | | | Plyometrics are commonly referred to as explosive |
| your exercise program in the fall was well worth the | | | | types of exercise drills, and are often used in |
| effort. You will have cleared the first hurdle on the | | | | conditioning programs for elite skiers because the |
| road to expert skiing. Physically, you will now be | | | | combination of squatting with weights and lateral |
| much stronger! | | | | jumps, sprints, or quickness drills, develops the leg |
| Exercising during the Season | | | | and hip power necessary for high performance skiing. |
| Strenuous activities like downhill skiing, especially at | | | | Before you Start |
| the expert level, promote tightness and inflexibility in | | | | Caution must be exercised whenever beginning any |
| the muscle groups. Therefore, stretching before and | | | | conditioning program. Use an exercise regimen that's |
| after skiing will keep you flexible and help prevent | | | | appropriate for your body type and your present |
| common injuries. Should you do the ski exercises | | | | level of conditioning. Please consult with your |
| after the season starts? | | | | physician, if you suspect that this ski-specific program |
| Yes, definitely. After the season starts you can catch | | | | is not suitable for you at the present time. |