I confess – I am as guilty as anyone. When ski season is over, I want to sit on a beach and collect those little paper umbrellas that decorate tropical drinks. Over the years, however, I learned a few things. One, those little paper umbrellas are pretty much useless once you get home. Two, getting out of shape is easy, getting back in shape is grueling and painful. Don’t spend your summer thinking “I’ll start my ski fitness program in September … or October … no, immediately after Thanksgiving.” Chances are, you are in better shape at the end of the season than you were at the beginning, so capitalize on that.
You can’t ski yourself into shape, and starting your season in less-than-optimal condition can leave you, at best, OD’ing on Advil or, at worst, getting a free ride down the hill in the ski patrol’s sled. There are other benefits to being in shape for skiing:
1. You’ll get your money’s worth. With lift tickets headed toward triple digits, do you really want to poop out after 2 hours? Or be so sore and tired on day 3 of your week ski vacation that all you can do is sip a latte and go shopping? (Actually, that sounds pretty nice … )
2. You’ll get bragging rights when you leave your friend/spouse/brother/whoever eating your crud and begging for mercy before lunch. Hell – you get lunch. AND dessert. No, TWO desserts.
3. You will become a better skier technically. You will have laid a foundation of strength, balance, and stamina that will translate to your skiing. If you participate in some sort of ski-specific program, you will already have learned movements that are directly applicable to your skiing, and you will also better understand how your body moves, what movements are efficient, and what your limitations might be.
This is important for kids, too. I had a little boy in my ski class, and, on our chairlift ride, I asked him what sports he liked to play. He named three different video games. Yikes. Your kids don’t have to be star athletes to enjoy skiing, but it helps if they aren’t couch potatoes. Again – injury prevention. Do you want to see your name on that whiteboard next to the lift line, followed by “Please contact ski patrol immediately?”
Use your off-season to broaden your idea of what ski conditioning can be – hike with your dog, bike with your friends. Pilates and yoga are great for core strength, balance and proprioception (how does my body move in space?). Start trying out some of those exercises you see in the ski magazines – it may take some trial and error, but you should be able to put together a pretty good program for yourself. Just make sure you include cardio (intervals – fun!) and strength training that includes lots of core stabilization exercises as well as plyometrics (jumping/explosive movements). Look for a ski conditioning class at a local gym.
If you get out and actively enjoy your summer, you’re off to a good start. I found inspiration in the beautiful red cruiser bike my husband built me for Christmas last year. It has a rack in front where I can put my gym bag, and, instead of water bottle cages, a holder for my coffee go-cup. The 10-minute ride to the gym on a Summer morning was the perfect warm-up, and it made me smile, too. Get moving – it’ll be worth it.
You can’t ski yourself into shape, and starting your season in less-than-optimal condition can leave you, at best, OD’ing on Advil or, at worst, getting a free ride down the hill in the ski patrol’s sled. There are other benefits to being in shape for skiing:
1. You’ll get your money’s worth. With lift tickets headed toward triple digits, do you really want to poop out after 2 hours? Or be so sore and tired on day 3 of your week ski vacation that all you can do is sip a latte and go shopping? (Actually, that sounds pretty nice … )
2. You’ll get bragging rights when you leave your friend/spouse/brother/whoever eating your crud and begging for mercy before lunch. Hell – you get lunch. AND dessert. No, TWO desserts.
3. You will become a better skier technically. You will have laid a foundation of strength, balance, and stamina that will translate to your skiing. If you participate in some sort of ski-specific program, you will already have learned movements that are directly applicable to your skiing, and you will also better understand how your body moves, what movements are efficient, and what your limitations might be.
This is important for kids, too. I had a little boy in my ski class, and, on our chairlift ride, I asked him what sports he liked to play. He named three different video games. Yikes. Your kids don’t have to be star athletes to enjoy skiing, but it helps if they aren’t couch potatoes. Again – injury prevention. Do you want to see your name on that whiteboard next to the lift line, followed by “Please contact ski patrol immediately?”
Use your off-season to broaden your idea of what ski conditioning can be – hike with your dog, bike with your friends. Pilates and yoga are great for core strength, balance and proprioception (how does my body move in space?). Start trying out some of those exercises you see in the ski magazines – it may take some trial and error, but you should be able to put together a pretty good program for yourself. Just make sure you include cardio (intervals – fun!) and strength training that includes lots of core stabilization exercises as well as plyometrics (jumping/explosive movements). Look for a ski conditioning class at a local gym.
If you get out and actively enjoy your summer, you’re off to a good start. I found inspiration in the beautiful red cruiser bike my husband built me for Christmas last year. It has a rack in front where I can put my gym bag, and, instead of water bottle cages, a holder for my coffee go-cup. The 10-minute ride to the gym on a Summer morning was the perfect warm-up, and it made me smile, too. Get moving – it’ll be worth it.
