Time to get ski fit…

Posted Tuesday 5th September 2017

Skiing places a great demand on many of our muscles and joints. Some muscles will need to work under endurance because they are required to work steadily all day to help support and stabilise our bodies. Other muscle groups need to be powerful with the ability to generate substantial forces and to work in short bursts to help propel the body into the different movements required for skiing. However, when preparing for this there is not one size fits all.

There are many different ways you can exercise to get fit to ski and below are just a few suggestions.

Below are a few general guidelines to remember when you introduce strength training:

  • you should start at least 6-8 weeks prior to your ski trip
  • it should be pain free
  • it should be progressive e.g. start just using body weight resistance and as you improve, introduce weights, increase repetitions or sets. Increase range of movement e.g. aim to squat deeper, jump higher etc. Increase frequency.
  • you don’t need a gym, many exercises can be introduced at home
  • Ideally try and train at least 3 times a week for the best outcome

The Squat

The squat is the bread and butter of ski training. It is a full body exercise that trains the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks.

Your form is really important when squatting:

  1. Place your legs slightly further than hip width apart. In this instance we are training for skiing so we do not want the stance to be too wide or too narrow. Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground with your toes very slightly pointed out (no more than 10 to 2)
  2. When you squat you should imagine sitting down on to a chair, your bottom moves backwards as you lower yourself down. Whilst doing this you want to maintain ‘spinal neutral’. This means that you should maintain a small curve in the small of your back to avoid a ‘butt wink’ and also avoid over extending (increasing the curve too much). If in doubt, stand side on to a mirror to watch your position. This is really important to reduce the risk of injuring your lower back while you are training.
  3. Look straight ahead to avoid looking down and keep your chest out and shoulders back. This will help your upper back and shoulder alignment.
  4. Aim to squat so that your thighs are parallel to the floor (although your range will depend on your hip flexibility). Some people may be able to go deeper, however this range is generally a good starting point for skiers.

To start try and do 3 sets of 12 squats. Rest for 60 seconds between each set.

Lunging

Lunge’s will increase leg strength, develop core strength and make your hips more flexible, as it is a functional, multi-joint exercise. The lunge is beneficial in more ways than one, when it comes to getting fit to Ski.

Start by taking a step into a forward lunge. Keep your upper body straight and your shoulders back. Lower yourself towards the floor so that both knees are bent to about 90 degrees. Make sure that your front knee is directly above your ankle and that the back knee doesn’t quite touch the floor. Push back up then repeat by stepping forwards on the other leg.

To start try and perform 3 sets of 12 repetitions on each leg (alternating) while resting for 60 seconds between sets.

Hop to deep land

This is a great exercise for developing explosive power, motion control and balance.

Stand on one leg then hop as high as you can.

Upon landing you need to aim to:

  • land on the same spot that you took off from
  • hold the landing position for 5 seconds (this can be harder than it sounds)
  • ensure your knee is well aligned over your middle toes
  • land deep / land on a very bent knee without over flexing from the waist
  • land quietly. A heavy landing suggests poor control

Repeat 10 times on each leg. To progress, try wearing light ankle weights.

Plank

The Plank is a great exercise because it works so many muscle groups including your abdominals and core, your back, arms, shoulders, glutes and hamstrings.

To start with try and perform 3 planks holding each for 30 second with 30 seconds rest in between. You can then increase the planking time each session, however if the quality of your movement decreases as you fatigue, initially decrease the length of time that you are holding it for.

When you are planking you should be able to maintain a neutral spine. Do not let your lower back sag or your bottom stick up in the air. Squeeze your buttock muscles and hold your tummy in to help maintain a neutral position. Keep your head and neck aligned by tucking your chin in / aim to make a double chin.

Heel raises

The two major calf muscles, your gastrocnemius and your soleus, both work hard we are skiing. The gastrocs works when the knee is straight and the soleus works to stabilise our lower leg when the knee is bent.

To strengthen the gastrocnemius muscle, place the balls of your feet on the edge of a low step. You may wish to hold onto a bannister for balance. Slowly sink your heels down and pause, then rise up onto your tip toes. Make sure that you go all the way up onto your tip toes, so that you are strengthening the muscle throughout the whole range of movement. Aim to repeat this 20 times (although start with as few as 5 repetitions if you find this hard and gradually build up). If this is easy, aim for 3 sets. To progress, wear a rucksack with 2 – 5 kg weigh in.

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