Ski fitness guidelines

-The When and Where of Your Ski Fitness Program

1. When to start a ski fitness program

Once you have decided that you want to start a ski fitness program, you want to make sure that you can stick with it and train on a regular basis.
In order to make this possible you need to find out how best to fit your ski fitness program into your weekly schedule and this includes where to do it.
You can improve your balance in a relatively short period of time. However when it comes to improving your ski specific strength, you should plan for at least two months of ski fitness training.
If you didn’t get started in time, it is not the same as to say, that you might as well just forget about it. A little training is better than no training and you can always improve your body’s reactivity and readiness for skiing. Just don’t start the week before and then work out like crazy risking a muscle starin or worse just before leaving on your ski trip.

2. Where to do your ski workouts

Home Training

If you are pressed for time or you don’t like going to the gym, you can practice at home.You can easily get in shape for skiing by doing your ski fitness training at home with a minimum of equipment. I have provided you with more specific ski exercise tips here

For those who would like a complete ski fitness program, I have made a dvd, with 2 progressions to get you in shape for skiing with as little as 2 workouts a week at home in front of your TV.You simply put on the dvd at home and you will be doing the ski fitness program along with me.The exercises on the DVD can also be made outdoors or in the fitness center. The DVD is designed so that your program can be adjusted according to your fitness level. All you need is a step and some Dumbells or soft weights. If you already workout in a fitness center or gym, you can do your ski fitness routine here. There are plenty of relevant equipment that you can use, for example dumbells, swiss balls, medicine balls, cables and resistance bands.

When running

If you prefer to go out for a run, then you can incorporate some ski fitness exercises on your way. Running alone is not very ski specific and it will not prepare you effeciently for skiing.

You can for example

• make some lateral jumps when you run down a hill

• do side skipping up a flight of stairs

• do some series of walking lunges

• incorporate some core exercises. 

You can also use the very simple ski fitness tips, minimal tips described in this article on the newstribune.com

Finally of course you can use some of the exercises shown in the ski fitness DVD Fit Skiing.

There's no reason why you should not be in shape for skiing if you follow these simple guidelines for ski fitness.