Getting in shape for ski season
Imagine flying down a ski run; the powder is great and the weather is even better. Suddenly, another skier flies past, falls hard and is carried down the mountain with a blown out-knee. Phew. At least it was not you.
At least not this time.
Skiers planning to jump on the slopes this weekend need to be physically prepared for the rigors of the sport to avoid injury and perform better.
“You lessen the chance of injury [when you work out]. You need to prepare your joints and muscles for the shock of skiing,” said Carrie Kropf, a physical trainer at Academy Fitness.
Kropf recommends alternating cardiovascular exercise and weight training each week to build endurance. For weight training, she said skiers should focus on leg workouts including leg extensions and leg curls, squats, adductor and abductor exercises, and calf raises. She also encourages abdominal and other lower-body workouts.
Because “everyone progresses differently,” Kropf said there is no set number of repetitions. To build endurance and muscle, people should mix workouts with moderate weight and higher repetitions and workouts with higher weight and fewer repetitions.
Skiers should also pay attention to their knees and ankles while preparing for the slopes.
“Skiers have a lot of knee injuries. There are forces pulling on the knees during skiing that you don’t see a lot in other sports. Developing powerful thighs and creating an equal balance between the quads and hamstrings is imperative to ensuring knee integrity,” according to Let’s Live, a publication by nutritional store GNC.
The magazine gives exercise suggestions for warm-ups and strength training. For warm-up, Let’s Live recommends gradual preparation of all major muscle groups, because muscles are especially cold in the winter air.
“Warming up before skiing is a simple preventative measure to enhance flexibility and increase muscular pliancy,” according to the publication.
Keith Coombs, president of the Utah State University ski club, said simple stretches for hamstrings and quadriceps, such as toe touches and pulling the foot back and up, will stretch legs adequately.
Coombs offered activities for skiers who are not into going to the gym, such as roller blading and soccer, to build leg muscles. He also said skiers can do three sets of wall sits, run stairs or a stair machine or do several repetitions of long steps, or extended lunges, to get ready for the slopes.
Both Coombs and Kropf encourage year-round fitness, not just seasonal workouts.
“You should work out for overall health benefits, not just specific sports,” Kropf said.
Coombs said, “If you’re in shape and you’re fit, you’ll enjoy your day more because you won’t be breathing as hard.”