Exercises for Skiing

If you want to maximize your time on the slopes and reduce your chances of having sore muscles or getting injured while skiing, do some very specific exercises to get ready for this sport. Start training for your ski trip at least eight weeks before you leave for the slopes.

  1. Lower Body

    • For skiing, you're going to want to build up the muscles in your legs to have more strength and endurance. As a result, do a series of weight training exercises to strengthen your lower body. If you are a member of a gym, use the leg machines to do some seated leg extensions. Your goal is three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions followed by one to two sets with half as much weight working only one leg at a time for four to eight reps. You'll also want to use the calf machine, lifting and lowering the body in a full range of motion for two to three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions. To exercise on both your inner and outer thighs, try the cable adductor and some abductor pulls. Work one leg for two sets of 10 to 12 repetitions and then turn to face the other way to work the opposing muscle before repeating the sequence on the other leg. To strengthen your quadriceps, use the leg press and alter the distance your feet are apart for each set (close together, shoulder width, and wide) so you can work different muscles each time. Aim to complete three sets of 10 to 12 reps. You'll also want to do some hamstring curls using a suitable weight. Don't push yourself to lift too much too fast since hamstrings tend to be tight and can be pulled very easily. Use light weights to start and work up to two or three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions. Work your gluts using the hip flexor cable pull, targeting two sets of 10 to 12 reps. Do these exercises at least twice a week and rest two days between sessions.

      You can also work your legs even if you don't have a gym membership. In fact, doing lunges can be a complete lower body workout. Just make sure that your knee does not extend past your ankle, since this could cause you to injure yourself. Squats can also be quite beneficial, especially if you are holding hand-held weights on your shoulders while doing them. Again, watch your form to make sure you do not hurt your knee.

    Aerobics

    • By increasing your aerobic endurance, you will be able to ski longer with less fatigue. One good way to combine muscle toning with aerobic exercise is to design a simple circuit workout for yourself. To so, just run or jog for about a minute and then do a set of muscle toning exercises. Then jog or run again before doing another set of exercises. For a total body workout, alternate your sets of exercises to cover your all parts of your body including your legs, upper body, and abdominals. Other good aerobic workouts include using the ski machine, climbing stairs, riding a bike, dancing, and swimming, not to mention a variety of aerobics classes. Since skiing often requires moderate to high heart rate levels for one to five minutes, you could benefit from doing an interval aerobic workout.

    Stretching and Aerobics

    • You're also going to want to do specific stretching exercises to improve your flexibility. Having a good range of movement will allow you to adjust to sudden changes in direction when you ski and reduce your chances of getting injured when you fall. Improving your core strength by strengthening your abdominals is also a good idea.

      Although the main muscles used during skiing are your quadriceps,do a total body workout since you will be using all your muscles and as soon as they become tired, your ability to ski using proper techniques will be reduced and your likelihood of injury will increase.