Get fit before that winter ski trip

By Sally Anderson, Special to the Times
Published November 27, 2007

EXERCISE 1 

Side lunges with ball: strengthens legs, abs, back and arms; challenges your balance and core strength.

Stand with feet wide apart, toes pointing slightly out. Hold ball or a weight at chest level. Keeping your torso straight and abdominals contracted, lunge to one side, bending the knee (do not allow knees to go beyond the toes). Try to touch the floor with the ball. Return to center and repeat movement to the opposite side.

Do not rush the movement; avoid using momentum. If you cannot touch the floor, go to the level at which you feel comfortable and continue for 30 seconds, building to a minute. You may repeat the movement pattern several times.

EXERCISE 2

Lunges with ski poles: targets quadriceps, hamstrings, inner and outer thighs and gluteals.

Use any stable object for support. Place one foot forward while bending knee (above left). Do not let knees move forward of the toes. Keep other foot to the back with heel off floor; toes pointing forward.

Contract abdominals and maintain a straight back. Repeat 8 to 10 times for each leg. Do not lean forward.

The standing gluteal stretch is a good follow to lunges; it can improve flexibility and relieve tension in the buttocks and outer hips:

Standing near a support (above left), cross a leg over the standing leg, placing the ankle just above the knee of the support leg, slightly rotating the thigh outward. Bend the knee of your standing leg, as much as is comfortable, leaning forward as you move hips back. Sustain this 10-20 seconds.

EXERCISE 3

Abdominal twists: strengthens obliques - the side abdominal muscles, which play an important role in a skier's stability.

Sitting on a mat (left), lean slightly back with abdominals contracted, knees comfortably bent. Hold a medicine ball or a weight in front of chest; arms fully extended, elbows relaxed. Turn upper body to the right as though you were trying to touch the ball to the floor. Repeat on the opposite side. Do one set of 10 twists to each side.

EXERCISE 4 

Standing quadriceps stretch: stretches front of thigh.

Standing close to a chair or wall, bend one knee and lift heel toward the buttocks. Reach back with the same side hand and hold the foot.

Keep inner thighs close together. Slowly bring heel toward buttocks, holding 10-20 seconds.

Do not feel you have to touch buttocks to be effective; you simply want to go to the point where you feel a stretch in the muscle tissue.

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If you imagine hitting the slopes this ski season, don't wait for the snow flurries to begin. Because skiing and snowboarding are seasonal activities that demand physically fit bodies to ensure successful and safe fun, it's prudent to begin sport-specific exercises several months in advance.

Without sharpening your physical skills such as endurance, strength, flexibility, balance and agility, you could be lessening the fun and increasing the odds for injuries.

Another plus for committing to a sports conditioning workout is the psychological "feel good" factor. Carla Sottovia, assistant fitness director and senior personal trainer at the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas, says that after exercise, people have an increase in epinephrine, a mood hormone.

Ideally, building a strength and cardiovascular base could begin six months before you plan to ski or snowboard.

"Regardless of your ability level, don't make the mistake of assuming you can ski or board yourself into shape," says Dave Merriam, head coach of both the Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors demonstration teams.

To enjoy a full day of skiing, you need to build up your cardio endurance through both aerobic and anaerobic activities. The aerobic conditioning will reduce fatigue levels and enable you to ski longer, while the anaerobic conditioning will help you to deal with the sudden intense bursts of energy needed for the demands of the sport.

Select your favorite aerobic exercise (be sure to warm up first) and include it in your schedule three to five times a week; workout sessions should be 30 to 45 minutes. Increase the intensity by occasionally throwing in a longer session.

Strength training

Whether you are a beginner or a veteran skier, skiing demands the use of all your body's muscle groups. Here are the muscle groups that will require the most attention in your strength workouts.

Lower body

Quadriceps (front of the thighs): This muscle, probably the most used muscle group in skiing, helps you maintain the proper tuck position while skiing and provides protection for the knees. Suggested exercise: squats, lunges

Hamstrings (back of the thighs):Strong hamstrings will help prevent lower back and knee injuries. As you lean forward from the hips while skiing downhill, strong hamstrings are needed to balance the body. Suggested exercise: leg curls

Inner and outer thighs: You need strong inner thighs to control the inward movement of the legs in keeping your skis together, especially in heavy snow. The outer thighs have the responsibility of helping to stabilize your body as you ski downhill. Both muscles surround and protect the knee joint. Suggested exercise: side lunges, leg lifts

Calves: As you ski, your knees are bent, so strong calf muscles will help keep you upright. Suggested exercise: calf raises

Core muscles

Major core muscles include the hip flexors, gluteals, abs and lower back muscles. They need to be strong to support your body when you are required to maintain a flexed (bent over) position as you ski. Suggested exercise: back extensions, abdominal exercises

Upper body

Arms and chest: Strong arms, chest and shoulders, along with back muscles, will give you the needed strength to push off with yourpoles. Suggested exercise: Biceps and tricepsexercises, chest presses, lateral pulldowns

Flexibility

The best stretches for skiers focus on the lower body; snowboarders need to include upper body as well. Daily stretching will give you a good range of joint movement, which will help your body adjust to sudden changes in direction and also will help to prevent injures when you fall.

A good stretch for the core, back and sides is the dropped shoulder stretch: Feet about shoulder-width apart, place hands on thighs while bending knees and letting chest fall forward. Rotate one shoulder to center front and look over the opposite shoulder. Hold this a few seconds, then change sides and repeat.

Balance and agility

Abdominal exercises are vital for developing a solid base for balance and agility. Add some balancing exercises by contracting the abdominals while standing on one leg, keeping the other leg slightly bent; gradually increasing the time standing. You could progress to standing on a balance board.

If you are 50 or older and have not been exercising, check with your physician before beginning any exercise program.

[Last modified November 26, 2007, 15:56:41]