Ski Fitness Tips For an Upcoming Skiing Holiday
It is about that time of the year when many of Brits are thinking about going on a skiing holiday. January and Fabruary are the ideal months to get away from the gloomy weather in the UK. Skiing is the perfect holiday choice, but for most of us we just won’t be in a good condition for the slopes.
Here are a few ideas to help you prepare better for the piste. Including getting you fitter, loosening your body up to help avoid aches, pains and injuries, plus some techniques for getting you in the skiing frame of mind.
Getting Fit
If you haven’t been skiing for some time then your leg muscles could do with strengthening. Any exercise you enjoy will help, from jogging to football to swimming. But you should consider adding some extra fitness exercises into the mix too.
If you are a member of a gym use the machines aimed more at the leg muscles. Some light lifting will give your thigh muscles a good workout. Try using your legs rather than your arms on the rowing machine too.
There are exercises you can do at home too such as squats. Hold the position until you feel the burn. Don’t go too hard, you want to built up your fitness levels as well as strength. Being out on the slopes all day requires stamina so you want to find a good balance.
Limbering Up
You should already know how important this is. If you get into the habit now of stretching your muscles they will be less likely to get damaged when skiing. Yoga is wonderful for this.
Otherwise just try to get into a routine of stretching your legs with lunges and other muscle stretching exercises. Start doing this a week or two before you hit the slopes and always have a good stretch on the day, before and after your ski session.
Honing your ski skills
If you live near a ski slope make a point of visiting a couple of times. You can also use a training device like the Sweetspot ski trainer which will help your muscles to remember the movements needed for correct balance. For a more in depth look at ski fitness check out this page on online ski advice.