Best Ways to get Ski Fit

Hi freezy water

Yes that is a great idea, in fact that is what I did the first few times until I could get in to a routine on my own. There is nothing to motivate you more when you are suffering to look over and see that your mate is suffering as much or more but his competitiveness is making him put on a brave face, You can see the strain on his face as he gasps for that illusive next breath and some how it makes you more at ease with your pain lol

After a while you will start to enjoy it, really enjoy it, it becomes a drug but you just have to get over the initial hump. One bit of advice though if you are starting out do more not less initially because if you do it once a week for example every time you go back to it will be hard work like the first time, of course you will get better but it will take longer. If you do 3 or for times a week initaly you will get better and fitter and fall in to a good routine quicker.

At the moment I do 4 times a week, and feel great for doing so, but find the amount that suits your lifestyle.

Good luck I'd be interested to know how you get on.

CHeers

Max

My advice for spinning would be - If you have a heart rate monitor - leave it at home!

What you don't know about you can't worry about :D

LOL
:thumbup:

General gym work like calve raises, leg extensions for quads and hamstring curls.

Flexibility in the legs, calves, achilles tendon is also equally important.

Agreed, I love the Gym work. Squats in the GYM with big weights best excercise you can do....if done properly but expect much pain for the following 2 or 3 days if you are doing enough weight. If it doesn't hurt you have wasted the session lol

I've found horse riding really helps, but obviously not ambling about on the back of some old carthorse. I took it up again after a couple of years' break before I went skiing in Jan. It was very amusing to have all the guys in my class complain about their thighs hurting when mine didn't!! It's great for balance as well plus it works loads of areas all at the one time. I go to aerobics as well where we do a lot of lunges and squats plus one legged squats. Road running helped me as well. :-)

Fitness obviously helps but you might want to bear in mind that the most common reason people find their thighs burning is that their weight's too far back and not over the front of the skis. It's hard for anyone to fit enough to sustain that for too long.

ise makes an excellent point - the number one, no question, way of lengthening your skiing day is to improve your technique. And stance is fundamental.

A balanced, relaxed position working with the ski can be maintained all day with only moderate levels of fitness - but "taking a back seat" will punish the thighs from the first run.

To answer the question in the first post, as well as "general" fitness there's obviously a need to work on "ski specific" exercises; balance boards, etc. I have a Skier's Edge in the lounge and that certainly works the thighs - but it also works best with a good skiing stance (it also feels enough like skiing that I actually enjoy it - as opposed to being bored rigid on most gym machines).

I'm not a horse-rider but I'd imagine being balanced on the stirrups must be very good training for that relaxed stance (absorbing all the bumps while staying centred) - does that sound sensible SkiGirl?