As the temperature plummets, take solace in the fact that beautiful fluffy white stuff is falling somewhere. As the ski season ramps up, consider whether your body is ready to do a whole day (or more) of high impact exercise in often harsh conditions.
Skiing and Snow-boarding require great isometric strength of quadriceps muscles to cope with the bumpy snow and “squat position”, and pushing over flat snow sections or up-hills with poles requires strong triceps, latissimus dorsi, and pectorals.
Some exercises to get your body ready.
1) Wall-Sits: With your back against the wall and feet 30cm from wall, slide down until your knees are at a right-angle. Sit there for as long as you can, aim for two minutes or more. Repeat x 5
2)Dips: Sit on a seat with arms, slide forward until your bottom is off the edge of the chair, legs outstretched and supporting weight on your hands. Lower your body weight until your bottom is below the chair height, and then press back up. Repeat 3 sets of 10 reps.
3) Squat Jumps: Standing in plenty of space, squat down fully, then jump up and out as far as possible. Land on two feet, immediately bobbing back down into a squat and then repeat.
This is a high impact exercise, and only to be done if you have decent fitness and no knee or back issues.
Try to get at least these exercises done, at least three times per week for the four weeks before your ski holiday. That way you’ll ensure you have a great time in the snow, and don’t end up sitting in the lodge while your friends carve it up!