Many ski enthusiasts across the country are unsurprisingly disappointed by how the pandemic cut short their 19-20 ski season. While The Summit Daily recently reported that many tourists still managed to make their way to the mountains as part of their summer escapades, several chose to skip out on their trips to stay healthy at home. If you’re one of those eager skiers who opted to hunker down at home, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to skip out on prepping for your eventual snow adventures too.
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Prepping for your next ski trip is not just motivating, it also has a slew of health benefits! This is especially crucial when you’re quarantined at home. Lifestyle writer James Gonzales points out how being stuck at home can lead to inactivity, as it’s not as appealing to get up and move when you’re bound to the couch. But if you want to stay healthy and get into the best shape as possible before next ski season, it would help if you used this time to break a sweat so you can perform your best and avoid injury when you finally step into your bindings. Whether you’re using a ski training device like the Skier’s Edge or just working with the equipment you have at home, here are some essential moves that can get you into tiptop shape:
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Build your endurance via cardio exercises.
Since you’ll likely be skiing all day the next time you hit the slopes, Very Well Fit suggests that you build up your cardio endurance prior to the trip. Doing so can help you ski longer and prevent your body from feeling incredibly fatigued after an entire day at the ski resort. For your cardio program, you may want to do three to five days each week of cardio and performing exercises that get your heart rate up, ideally moves that work your entire body. You can try an elliptical interval workout, a cardio-medley workout, or a sprint interval workout. Just keep in mind that these are challenging initially, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t get to kickass the first time.
Squat with just your body weight.
The New York Times underscores how problems often associated with sitting can be resolved by doing squats. Even without assistance from additional equipment and using just your body weight, squatting enables you to train your legs to move the right way when you’re skiing. It is then recommended that you incorporate repetitive squats in your workout routine, but be sure to follow the correct form, of course.
Pro tip: See to it that your weight is in your heels and don’t let your knees go past your toes.
Do some planks.
Fitness writer Stephanie Contomichalos highlights how one of the most effective core exercises is the plank, making it ideal for practicing to get your body ready for skiing. A strong core allows you to fine tune everything else and makes it so much easier for your whole body to move together. It also helps you build stronger abdominals and back. While there’s nothing wrong with doing the traditional plank, performing some variations allows you to work different muscle groups as well.
Perform dumbbell deadlifts.
Doing dumbbell deadlifts allows you to work your hamstrings, which can then help you avoid incurring a variety of knee injuries. Healthline also highlights how it contributes to establishing safe motor patterns, stabilizing the trunk, and improving coordination and agility. To properly execute a deadlift, be sure to stand with feet-width apart and squeeze your buttocks on the way up to engage your glutes and hamstrings. That way, your lower body will be extra strong by the time you conquer the slopes.
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