Peak Performance: Workouts Prepare You For Skiing
Skiing is “snow” joke! It requires full body strength, balance, and coordination. Before you hit the slopes, preparing your body with specific workouts is so important. With these few tips, you will be at “peak” performance in no time.
“Ski”-lling It
In my personal experience, single-leg workouts have impacted my skiing ability the most. For this, I recommend either doing reverse lunges or Bulgarian split squats. These can be done with any weight of your choice. Because your legs control the direction you want to go, both must be equally strong. I also like these because they require balance, which is vital to skiing. That is why I also recommend incorporating a bosu ball into your workouts. My favorite is the single-leg bosu ball squat. The first time I tried this, I felt unsteady, so if needed, try it without a bosu ball. The bosu ball is excellent for core strength and balance because it mimics how unstable skiing can be. Bosu balls also offer unique practice for going over ski moguls. Click here to see a how-to video. I have also found yoga to be very important to skiing. When you are flexible, getting up from a fall and navigating harder terrains is much easier. For general strength training advice, try to mimic skiing movements by practicing squatting and shifting your weight from side to side. And don’t forget your upper body! Once, I had fallen at the end of a hill and had to push myself for what seemed like a mile, and my back and arms were killing me. A strong upper body can make you more stable and help control your skis. Skiing requires overall body strength, so I hope these tips help!
It’s All Down Hill From Here
Skiing is also an intense cardio workout. So, it is essential to incorporate cardio into your workout regime to prepare thoroughly. My favorite workout is walking backward on the treadmill with an incline. I know it sounds insane, but trust me, it works. I walk backward at a speed of 2.5 at an incline of eight to ten. I usually do this in intervals, switching from walking forward for five minutes to backward for five. Walking backward helps with coordination and balance and engages calves, hamstrings, lower back, and buttocks more so than regular walking. These large muscle groups get less attention often, so it's a great way to balance your training. I also recommend using the stair climber for endurance. Doing the stair climber at intervals has helped me. I will do five minutes faster, then slow down for ten minutes and repeat for thirty minutes. In my experience skiing, I go down the slope for five minutes, then wait to return to the top for twenty minutes. Interval training with cardio can be helpful to get your heart rate and stamina accustomed to this pattern. Which is why I like to do sprints as well. Sprinting at the end of my cardio workout is a great way to get that last energy out and really raise my heart rate. Hiking is also one of my favorite ways to prepare for skiing. It is important to get outside and prepare yourself in an outdoor setting. Cardio is vital to skiing, so keep your endurance and stamina strong.
Ski-daddle
Remember to start slowly and increase the intensity of your workouts to avoid injury. It's also a good idea to look up more information about the location you are skiing to see if there are any inside tips to help you prepare even more. With these tips, you will be ready for the slopes in “snow” time.
Ski You Later and…
Be Well,
Auburn
