Top 3 Ski Conditioning Exercises
Skiing is an intense sport that requires strength, technique and endurance. Spending hours on the slopes having fun and training at the same time is good but if you go unprepared, you could exert and damage your body without even noticing it.
It is important to train each part of your body individually to make sure that you can meet and appreciate the physical challenges of this sport. Just like with any other sport, you need warming up first and the following 3 ski conditioning exercises can help you achieve greater strength and agility and protect your body from possible injuries.
1# Lateral hops to strengthen your posture Lateral hops are quite popular and you may have already done some. It’s a jumping exercise that focuses on the posture. All good skiers know how essential posture and movements are. Stand with both feet joint and hop to the side as if you were skiing for real.
Do this for several sets of 15 to 20 jumps and each time, increase the speed. Make sure you don’t overdo it as this exercise can be hard on the legs and calves. However, the more sets you do, the easier it will get and you’ll notice an increased strength next time you slide down the slopes.
2# Step Up exercises for general endurance Endurance is important when practicing a sport, especially in the cold weather. Endurance is not something you do occasionally, on the contrary. The more you practice–and you don’t need to do it for 1 hour each time, 30 minutes will be enough- the fitter you will get.
Step-up exercises are great for skier as they combine both cardio and leg training. It is of course best if you own a stepper at home but if not; you can always use your staircase or make one. All you have to do is jump onto the step (make sure it isn’t slippery) then jump backward as many times as you can. The longer you can last without stopping the better you’ll get. However, this is not a competition, so take it slowly and increase your time by a few minutes each time you practice this exercise.
3# Forward Jump exercise to get strong legs. This conditioning exercise is one of the most important of all, since you’ll be training your leg and make them stronger. The position is simple. All you need to do is stand with your legs bent as if you had skis on, jump forward and revert back to your initial position twice. The goal of this exercise is to repeat a series of quick jumps- forward and backwards- in order to train your legs properly and prevent possible strain when you’ll be skiing for real.
