Don’t attack the snow that won’t come!
Being in good shape is the prerequisite for skiing well and fully enjoying your winter holidays. This sport requires coordination in movements and solid balance, not to mention vigilance every second. The legs gain strength and endurance, but skiing barely stimulates the cardiovascular or respiratory systems.
A demanding discipline, skiing requires significant muscular work:
- The lower limbs (quadriceps, calves, gluteals and gluteus maximus)
- The abdominal belt
- The back and shoulders.
Good physical preparation
Before taking on the bumps and feeling perfectly comfortable on the ski “boards,” some recommendations must be followed. Having steel thighs, flexible knees and hips is achieved after about a month of exercises.
It is also necessary to develop cardio-respiratory capacity and gain endurance by doing aerobic exercises. The role played by the heart is crucial on the slopes, allowing one to maintain a steady pace under unusual climatic conditions.
To develop breath control, do jogging, walking, cycling, stepper, treadmill (three quarters of an hour three times a week), walk upstairs two steps at a time while keeping your back straight so only the legs work; and when going down, think about how to receive the body weight on one foot then the other, as the muscles thus work as they do in skiing.
See our advice sheet physical preparation for skiing
Good equipment preparation
Are you physically at your peak? But is your equipment ready to follow you on the snowy slopes? Even if ski maintenance is quite limited, you must do it regularly if you want to preserve all its qualities. You have several options for this maintenance, either you do it yourself (but you should know that some operations are not without risk for the skis), or you go to a professional. This is the solution we recommend; the cost is not that high. You will still find an advice sheet for waxing your skis, a fairly easy operation to carry out. And always remember to store your skis away from sources of intense heat, as this would irreparably damage them. And a quick wipe on the edges at the end of the day doesn’t take long and your skis will thank you.
See our advice sheet ski waxing
