Your boards are prepped and polished and you have new ski gear ready for the slopes. There’s just one problem. It’s not ski season. The wait to get back to your favorite runs can feel long, but it offers you a great opportunity to prepare your body for what’s to come. Let’s look at how you can stay in shape for ski season next winter.
Build Your Stamina
When you ski, you’ll want to have plenty of endurance. You’ll be doing a lot of strenuous activity and you’ll be at a high altitude. These factors mean you need to build up your stamina so you don’t find yourself winded.
During the spring and summer, switch your exercise routine up and try swimming for your cardio. To make swimming convenient, find swimming pool contractors Oklahoma City who can build the perfect training pool for you. Make it long enough so you can swim a good distance and really get your heart going. And swimming is a full-body exercise so your arms and legs benefit as well.
Running is also a great way to keep your stamina up year-round. This exercise also works your legs and gets you used to being on your feet for a long time, which is perfect for ski season.
Train Your Muscles
Before you head up the mountain, make sure your muscles are ready. Start an exercise routine that targets key areas, particularly your thighs, core and back. These muscle groups do a lot of work when it comes to keeping you moving on the slopes, so make sure they’re strong. Here are some exercises you can add to your list:
- Wall sits. They may seem boring, but wall sits work your muscles well. And the crouched position isn’t too far from the kind of stance you may find yourself in while skiing.
- Squat jumps. This exercise improves the power in your legs while building muscle. You also get some added cardio benefits.
- Lunges. Use this exercise to help strengthen those hamstrings and quadriceps.
- Planks. Don’t forget about your core muscles. Progressively increase the time of your planks to build up your abdominals and back.
If you can, find a workout that combines the cardio and muscle work you need to do. Many high-intensity interval routines, or HIIT workouts, offer the best of both worlds.
Maintain Flexibility and Agility
Remember to embrace all parts of your fitness, including your flexibility. When your body moves well, maneuvering on your boards becomes easier. Skiers should consider adding yoga or pilates to their fitness plans. A good yoga flow will stretch all of your major muscle groups and help you recognize any areas that may be tight. Pilates offers the same stretching benefit with extra muscle building. You can also come up with your own stretching routine.
Make sure to do balance work as you keep yourself in shape for ski season. After all, good balance is critical when you’re on your boards. Balance training can be done at home with no equipment and still have a big impact on your skiing performance.
Take Care of Your Joints
Skiing can put a lot of stress on your joints, especially your knees and hips. Focus on taking care of them all year long. Start with supportive shoes that keep your knees in alignment. If you have any joint pain, get it checked out. Properly stretching regularly will also benefit your joints.
Get Started Early
The most important part of getting ski season ready is starting early. You can’t build up your fitness in one day or even one week, so don’t wait until the snow is falling to try to get in shape. Staying in shape all year means you’ll be ready for the slopes on opening day. Plus, you’ll be ready for any other outdoor sports you want to try when ski season is over.
Make a fitness plan now, and have a great time on the slopes this winter!
About The Author
stash member Vincent Stokes
Vincent Stokes is an outdoor enthusiast and an experienced world traveler. He also writes writes for the National Parks and works to promote pride in homegrown travel destinations. (@TravelingGlobal)