The ski season is open, snowy slopes and mountains are calling - time for the ski vacation! But ever better prepared slopes and more modern equipment ensure a high pace on the descents. Enormous stresses are placed on the body, and the risk of injury increases. Therefore, it is important to prepare well for skiing! Especially inexperienced skiers can avoid unpleasant sore muscles and injuries. Find out here how you can get fit in time for your skiing vacation!
Safety through good preparation
The legs hurt, the calves burn, the breath quickens - for skiers who have not prepared themselves sufficiently for the upcoming stress in the snow, the fun can quickly be over. In order to be able to enjoy the skiing vacation to the full, a minimum level of physical fitness should be present. Untrained people not only tire more quickly and suffer from annoying muscle soreness the next day, they also risk injuries such as torn cruciate ligaments or broken bones. Those who are fitter also have better coordination skills. This means they stay alert longer and can react more quickly in dangerous situations. Untrained skiers, on the other hand, ski with less control.
Ideally, skiers exercise all year round, so they hit the slopes with sufficient strength, endurance and coordination. However, this is not always the case. With the right preparation, however, even skiers who are otherwise hardly active can get fit for the slopes. Experts advise starting training two to three months before the skiing vacation. In this way, the body can be prepared for the unaccustomed strain. A ski workout two to three times a week is just right. If you have less time, you should still use it: Because any preparation is better than none at all!
Endurance: Condition is the be-all and end-all
Skiing is an endurance sport. If you want to survive a long day of skiing, you need a certain basic fitness and stamina. So that you are not flat after the first descents, you should train your endurance before the skiing vacation. The best sports for this are jogging, Nordic walking, inline skating, swimming or mountain biking. They get your cardiovascular system going. However, you should not overdo it at the beginning. The German Ski Association (DSV) recommends regular, but initially moderate training to get your body used to the strain slowly.
Endurance training can also be very well integrated into everyday life: Simply take the stairs instead of the elevator or ride a bike instead of driving a car.
Strength: Trained muscles for safe skiing
In addition to endurance, a stable musculature is also crucial for skiing. This sport requires complex movements that use almost all muscle groups. The leg and trunk muscles play a special role, as they are important for stabilization. Strengthened muscles ensure correct posture when skiing, make quick changes of direction easier and enable effective regeneration. Trained muscles prevent falls and protect joints and tendons.
Exercises with your own body weight are suitable for strengthening. These can be done quite easily at home and usually without any aids.
→ Legs
The leg muscles are optimally addressed with the classic squat, fast stair runs and jumping rope. The downhill squat, a popular exercise from ski gymnastics, is also excellent. It not only trains the thighs, but also stabilizes the torso. Stand upright and hip-width apart, slowly bend your knees and tilt your upper body forward. Then stretch the arms forward and lower the buttocks as far as possible. Hold for 20 to 40 seconds and repeat two to three times.
In our leg trainer category you will find suitable fitness equipment for leg training, if you prefer to prepare for your ski vacation in the gym.
→ Trunk
The torso can be strengthened with exercises such as crunches or forearm supports. The following exercise is also effective: lie down in a prone position and stretch your arms forward. Arms, legs and shoulders are now lifted off the floor at the same time, the head remains between the arms facing the floor. Hold the position and repeat several times.
→ Upper body
The best way to train your upper body is with push-ups. They not only strengthen the torso, but also the shoulders and arms. When doing them, make sure that your legs and upper body form a straight line. Alternatively, you can do vertical push-ups against a wall. You drop against a wall or a tree with your body tensed. Then support yourself with bent elbows and push yourself back to an upright position with strength.
Coordination and balance: balance on the boards
Not only endurance and strength are important when skiing, but also coordination and a trained sense of balance are important because they prevent falls. Wobble boards and therapy spinning tops are very suitable for training balance. Appropriate balance exercises can also be incorporated into everyday life: For example, you can stand on one leg while brushing your teeth or ironing to keep your balance. Standing on your toes also promotes balance and is a good exercise to prepare for a skiing vacation.
And you can also prepare wonderfully for skiing with EMS training! Read more in the magazine of our partner EMS-TRAINING.de: Fit for the slopes with EMS!
What are you waiting for? Start preparing now so you can enjoy your skiing vacation to the fullest! And remember, skiing will also melt away the pounds! Which winter sport burns how many calories, you can read in our article fat killer winter sports: burn calories in the snow!
Editors fitnessmarkt.de (SIS)
Image source: #54943294 © Jonas Glaubitz / Adobe Stock
Published on: 1 February 2019