The right ski conditioning will mean improved balance, improved muscle tone for better direction, and improved aerobic strength so you can last all day on the slopes.
There are many ways to get your body into good condition for skiing season, but an effective program should consist of a few key elements.
Let's look at those elements in greater detail here.
Specific for Skiing The reason you need a program that is specific for skiing is that you use different muscles for skiing than you do any other sport.
It's true that you use your leg muscles for football, basketball, and other activities, but with skiing you also need strong balance and coordination.
This means working your core muscles as they're involved in balance, as opposed to just building muscles in the legs.
Ski conditioning also means strong aerobic activity since this is needed for skiing.
The physical activity of skiing itself puts a huge demand on the heart and lungs, but being in the cold simply doubles this demand.
A good aerobic program for skiing means something that is challenging, not just something that gets you active.
Jogging or sprinting is better than walking, and step aerobics are better than just a regular aerobics class.
These components that are specific for ski conditioning will mean getting you into the best shape for hitting the slopes.
Make sure any program you follow includes these elements.
Repeat, Repeat, Repeat Another important aspect of ski conditioning is repeating your program regularly and year-round.
Conditioning your body is not something you can do overnight or even within the few weeks approaching ski season.
This is something that you need to do consistently and regularly to get maximum results.
One good way to incorporate ski conditioning into your regular schedule is to write it down on paper and make it an appointment as you would anything else that's important to you.
For instance, if you go to a place of worship once per week, you know that nothing is going to interfere with your attendance - Wednesday night rolls around and you just automatically go.
Or you might have a weekly poker game with friends or family night with the kids.
Do the same for your ski conditioning routine.
Choose two days per week or as many as you can schedule and write down this time in your calendar, and be faithful to it as you would any other appointment.
If you do this then you will stick with your schedule and will get your body into tiptop shape for ski season.
Then you'll be able to tear up the slopes with ease every time you head out!