How do I get fit ready for skiing?

What exercise do I need to do before a ski trip?

What fitness do you do, so you can ski all season?

Am I fit enough to enjoy a ski holiday?

These are questions which I get asked all the time by clients, friends and family being a ski instructor, skiing all year round.

I will list a few routines/exercises that I do, to allow me to ski year round.

As a caveat here, I am not a licenced fitness instructor. But over the years these are the routines that I have found to be successful in keeping me injury free, and able to ski year round.

Stretching/Warm up

In the morning, I will warm up my muscles ready for the day of skiing ahead. In the evening, I will stretch out the muscles as a cool down after the ski day. It may sound like a lot, but once you get used to it, it’ll only take around 10-15 minutes each.

Morning warm up

Away from the ski world I stretched my ACL, and through the physiotherapy to get back to full strength I worked with a specialist, and she recommended a couple of exercises that I still do today as a warm up before skiing. To fire up the correct muscles to keep my legs healthy.

Balance

I will balance on one leg for a minute with a slight bend at the knee. Repeating on the other leg. Doing this a total of 3/4 times on each leg.

To make this easier, you can decrease the time spent balancing on one leg, and over time with consistency it will improve up to balancing for 1 minute on each leg.

To increase the difficulty, keep your eyes closed. Or stand on a wobble board/half a gym ball. These can be found in gyms, or purchased online.

Movement

• 15 squats x 2/3

With both of my feet flat on the floor, with my toes facing forward as much as comfortable. I Squat down through slow controlled movement as if I am going to sit down on a chair. I will hold for a split second in the bottom position, where my thighs are parallel to the floor, my knees will be roughly a 90 degree angle. Then stand back up straight, pushing through my heels to straighten the legs.

I do fifteen squats, not rushed, just simply warming the legs up. And repeat this three or four times. Warming the front and back of the legs up.

Crab walks 15 x 2/3

This one warms up my butt and the muscles used to keep my knees safe whilst skiing.

Similar to the squat, I will stand with both feet on the floor, and lower my butt to roughly a 90 bend in the knee, with my thighs parallel to the floor.

Once in this position, I will take sideways steps, depending on where I do this, if there is space I will take 15 steps in a row. If not, I use whatever space I have, and eventually get up to fifteen steps.

I repeat this two or three times. This for me, really gets my leg muscles fired up.

To make this easier, decrease the amount of bend in the legs, whilst stepping sideways.

To make this more difficult, use a band around your legs to increase the effort needed to step the legs apart whilst moving sideways. Again most gyms have these, or they can be purchased online.

Stretching

Quad Stretch

This stretches the front part of the leg above the knee.

I bend one leg with the knee on the floor close to the wall, and the top of the foot flat against the wall. My other leg is bent in front of the body with my foot flat on the floor.

I feel the stretch in the leg with the knee on the floor. Moving the knee that is on the floor closer to the wall increases the stretch.

I do this stretch for two minutes each leg.

To make this stretch easier, move the knee that is on the floor further away from the wall to decrease the bend in that knee. To make this stretch harder, move the knee that is on the floor closer to the wall to increase the bend in that knee.

Hamstring Stretch

This stretches the back part of the leg above the knee.

I sit on the floor, on my butt with my legs together and straight out in front of me.

With my toes pointing at the sky, I reach forward and grab my feet.

Feeling the stretch in the back part of my legs. I do this stretch for 3-4 minutes.

To make this stretch harder, reach further forwards, to make this stretch easier decrease how far down your leg you reach.

Glute Stretch

This stretches my butt muscles.

I start in a lunge, and then place the front leg flat on the floor, with the inside of my leg and foot facing upwards.

I feel the stretch in the side of my butt of whichever leg is in font.

I do this stretch for 2 minutes on each leg.

To make this stretch harder try to keep your hips as close to the floor as possible. To make this stretch easier elevate your font leg onto a box or something similar.

A stretching App

I do the stretches above daily to help keep my legs strong and supple.

However, I do others too after a workout. I use an app called GOWOD, this is a great app that gives you set stretches to perform, which the app measures. And then tailors stretches to work on your weaknesses.

Workout for Skiing/Snowboarding

There are a tonne of great workouts to do for skiing or snowboarding to make sure that you are fit for your holiday.

A great one is listed below. And it is one that Katie Ormerod (World Class Snowboard Athlete) uses, that can be done at home. There is a video below to watch her perform the exercises.

Video Here

Each exercise is performed 10 times, and repeated 3 times. Therefore each exercise is performed 30 times in total.

Hip Flexor Mobility

Squatting down, and whilst in the bottom of the squat reach one hand above your head, and then the other. Stand back up straight, and this is one full repetition.

in out crunches

Start with your butt on the floor, legs and arms long and raised off the floor. Then bend your legs and bring your knees to your chest, whilst reaching towards your feet with your hands. Then stretch the legs and arms back out straight. This is one repetition.

Russian Twists

Sitting on your butt, with your shoulders and legs off the floor. Twist your upper body, and lightly touch the floor to the side of you with your hands. Then return to the center. This is one repetition.

Single leg hip thrusts

Laying on your back with you knees bent at around 90 degrees. Using one leg, raise your hips off the floor, allowing the other leg to raise off the floor too. Then lower the hips and leg, back to the ground. This is one repetition.

Tuck Jumps

Start standing up, squat down, then jump up into the air, whilst in the air bring your knees up to your chest making a ball. Stretch your legs back out, and land gently on the floor. This is one repetition.

Finished

This is great little workout that can be performed almost anywhere, as you do not need any specialist equipment.

Thank you

Thank you for reading this blog, this is way that I like to stretch and get ready for skiing, there are many others.

Feel free to share this with anyone who you think may be interested, using the sharing links below.

Thank you for reading.

Steve

If you need any more information on anything written here or have any suggestions for more blogs that you would like to read. Please don’t hesitate to let me know below. Thank you.