Ski season is coming up. That means you need to take the steps to be in great shape when the time to hit the slopes arrives. Just don’t do what most people do – head out to the slopes without getting into “ski” shape. Sure, you might be enthusiastic about your skiing but you also need to be in condition to ski safely.
If you are in good shape, you’re going to have a lot more fun when you ski, because you won’t get tired so quickly. You also reduce your chances for injury because your conditioning is going to help keep you from hurting yourself. When you’re not in good shape, you can’t ski as effectively and it’s going to be more difficult for you to protect yourself should you experience an unexpected fall.
There are a lot of things you can do if you want to get in good shape to go skiing. Let’s have a look at some of them.
One of the best ways to get in shape before you go skiing is to use an elliptical trainer. A lot of skiers will tell you that an elliptical trainer uses many of the same movements skiing does which means those muscles vital to skiing are going to be exercised. You will build up your cardio and hit every muscle in your body at the same time.
If you don’t have an elliptical trainer, you can bike, jog, or jump rope. These aren’t necessarily movement specific exercises, but they will give you cardiovascular training that can build you up so that you’re not going to get tired when you ski. Almost anything that can help with cardiovascular conditioning will benefit you so you don’t get tired when you ski.
Physical strength development is highly important, as well. You don’t have to be the strongest person in the world to ski well, but lifting weights and going to the gym in general will make you stronger which means you’ll be more resilient. If you don’t want to work out at the gym, you can always left free weights and perform other exercises from home which will improve your overall strength.
There is a piece of equipment called the kettlebell that can help you improve your physical fitness, too. This is a moderately heavy piece of equipment, and by swinging it, you’ll develop muscular endurance and improve your cardio.
However, my highest recommendation for skiers is possibly also the most enjoyable to do — working out on a mini-trampoline more commonly known as a rebounder. A rebounder is very much like a trampoline and it provides a total body workout that invigorates every muscle in the body.
With a rebounder, you’re doing plyometric exercise, which mimics the explosive movements you use when you ski, in that you’ll need to be able to move very quickly and effectively, maneuvering around hazards as you see them. Rebounding also gives you very strong leg muscles and good muscular endurance for your legs which is what you need to be a good skier.
Rebounding also strengthens the back which will give you much better stability. The performance of squats and bouncing on a well-built rebounder will tone your body and put minimal stress on your knees or joints. In short, exercising on a rebounder will help you develop much greater strength and endurance for skiing. That will make your skiing sessions much more enjoyable and fulfilling.
If you want to be a safe and effective skier, one of the most important things you will need to do is to get and stay in shape. There are a number of things you can do, as discussed here, that can help you do this, whether you decide to opt for a mini-trampoline or rebounder, to work out on an elliptical trainer, or other choices. By working out and making the choice to be in good shape, though, you will make your upcoming skiing excursions much more enjoyable and rewarding.
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