Skiing Fitness Exercises

Skiing is a physically taxing sport. Without the proper conditioning, skiing can turn even the strongest person’s legs to mush by the time the lifts close. Though the legs take the brunt of the beating, après ski soreness can also be felt in the triceps, wrists and upper back. Luckily, by doing some ski-specific fitness conditioning, you can train your body to withstand the demands of the sport. It is important to develop a fitness program that targets the legs, upper body and core for a full-body workout. You should also incorporate some cardio to build stamina.

  1. Legs

    • Building leg strength is essential for any ski conditioning-program. Wall slides and moving lunges are two exercises that will build the proper leg muscles for skiing.

      The wall slide is a simple yet effective exercise that will build endurance in your legs and work your quads, glutes and hamstrings. Stand with your back flat against a wall and your legs shoulder-width apart in front of you. Your toes should point forward. Lower your body down into a squat position as if you were sitting in a chair. Your knees should be at a 90-degree angle and directly over your toes. Hold this position for as long as possible, then slowly stand up. Repeat as many times as possible.

      Moving lunges are another recommended leg exercise that again works your quads, glutes and hamstrings. You can do them with or without dumbbells. Stand on a flat surface with your feet shoulder-width apart. Step forward, lowering your body so that your front leg is at a 90-degree angle, with your knee over your toe. Your back leg should remain as straight as possible. Push up off your back leg and rise. Hold this position for a moment before moving forward with the opposite leg. If you want to add weight, hold dumbbells at your sides.

    Core

    • Ball crunches are an effective way to build core strength. Ball crunches allow for a greater range of motion than simple crunches performed on the floor. Additionally, because they force you to continually maintain your balance, more muscles come into play than in traditional crunches. To do ball crunches, lie face up on a fitness ball making sure the ball is under your middle back. Keep your legs shoulder-width apart. Place your arms behind your head and crunch up, keeping the ball stable. When you crunch up, your chin should be pointed up toward the ceiling and your elbows pointed out away from your ears. Make sure you do not pull on your neck as you crunch up. Lower yourself down again to the starting position and repeat as many times as possible without losing your form. To make this exercise more difficult, move your feet closer together. This requires more muscle to balance on the ball.

    Upper Body

    • Push-ups are the most useful and effective of all upper body exercises. They work your chest, back, shoulders and triceps; all of which you need when using your ski poles to propel yourself along flat terrain. A proper push-up requires you to get into plank position and lower yourself down to about an inch off the floor. Push yourself back up to the starting position to complete a full push-up. If you lack upper body strength, you can do a modified version with your knees on the floor. For more advanced exercisers, there are numerous ways to make the simple push-up harder. For example, you can do push-ups with one hand on a medicine ball or by placing a dishtowel under each hand and sliding your hands out as you lower yourself down toward a hardwood floor. Be sure to keep your head up and eyes forward when doing push-ups.

    Plyometrics

    • Plyometrics are jumping exercises that will help strengthen your knees and legs for the up-and-down motion of skiing. They are especially necessary for skiers who challenge themselves on mogul trails. Some simple plyometric exercises include jumping rope, lunge jumps and jump squats.

      Lunge jumps begin like regular lunges, but when you begin to rise, use both feet to jump off the floor, switching your front and back legs midair. Lower down again and repeat.

      Jump squats are similar: you squat, jump off the floor as you rise and then lower back down. As with regular lunges and squats, be sure not to extend your knee farther than your toes.

    Cardio

    • Cardio exercises help skiers build the stamina they need for a long day on the slopes. Cardio exercises are designed to increase your heart rate. Running, swimming laps, biking, aerobics and kickboxing are all good cardio options. For the best results, infuse steadily-paced workouts with 2-minute bursts of higher-speed exercises to raise your heart rate and build your endurance even faster.