ALL SPORTS AND LEISURE, OCTOBER 2001
SKIING is a sport that is hard on the body, particularly as we tend to indulge in short bursts of a week, or two weeks, writes
Simon Moyes.
No matter how many sports you participate in, or how regularly, skiing is a sport that needs dedicated preparation in
order to make the most out of a week away.
Although many forms of exercise will stimulate some amount of muscle strengthening, if you are planning a trip to the slopes, it will pay dividends to incorporate specific strengthening exercises into your regular exercise routine.
In the gym, the resistance machines, for example stairclimbers and cycling equipment, can be used to great effect. The weight machines are also useful, but make sure you exercise through the full range of motion to ensure that joint flexibility as well as muscle strength is exercised.
Squats are also an ideal way to prepare the lower half of your body for skiing and they have the advantage that they can be done anywhere. To increase resistance, perform the exercises with dumb bells or other weights.
Leg lifts, which involve lying on your side and slowly lifting your leg up and down, are another good exercise. They help strengthen the whole of the leg area and are also very useful for building up the hip muscles - stronger hip muscles will help give more support to the back and knees when skiing. A good tip, if you want to increase resistance, is to wear your ski boot.
And before hitting the slopes remember to warm up thoroughly. Most skiing injuries could easily be avoided if a little time had been spent loosening the muscles and joints and increasing suppleness. Stretch the hamstring, groin, calfs and lower spine to ensure that the worst you get from any falls is a face full of snow!
Happy skiing.
