Latest posts for the topic "Getting fit for skiing - again"

Getting fit for skiing - again

Fri, 5 Nov 2010 19:44:34 GMT

So, last year was a bit of a fail on my part. I don't think I did much in the way of anything to get fit but I managed.

Must try harder. I'm currently doing yoga - is that any good for skiing?

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Fri, 5 Nov 2010 21:29:16 GMT

Just don't cross your skis! :wink:

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 08:40:29 GMT

I am going to start getting fit again now - I didn't like the feeling of my legs hurting in Tignes. I reckon it takes me about 3 months to get fit when I'm in a bad state, like now.

I have found my Ingham's get fit to ski book. I just need to start doing all those star jumps and squats and running etc. again. Last year I got brilliantly fit and didn't ache at all after ski-ing all day.

Ally

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 10:49:59 GMT

I haven't done much yoga, but am trying desperately to get fitter for this years skiing. My legs just couldn't stand up to it by the end of the day last year as I've been pretty inactive sports wise for years now. Been doing a bit of everything to keep variety - running, cycling, rowing and various other small bits and pieces. I need to lose a lot of weight too though, hence the aerobic theme. God I hope it works! :lol:

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 12:56:47 GMT

I was not good last year and have been worse this year...Need to lose weight too. :(

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 12:58:11 GMT

I still haven't got the bike out of the garage yet ......... maybe tomorrow.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 14:09:20 GMT

AllyG out of curiosity, what does it say in your Inghams book? I'm trying to work out some structure so I have goals and don't just give up when I get bored/tired!

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 14:44:35 GMT

Eat less and more exercise leads to weight loss ...... I think

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 16:01:37 GMT

snowb4ndit wrote:I was not good last year and have been worse this year...Need to loose weight too. :(

Thats just about right for me too. I tweaked my left knee in Serre Che last season, and its been causing me a little grief recently with all the driving, swelling up and tAs he odd twinge now and again. I ought to start strengthening it up, and working on my quads.
I never get properly fit, I really dont see the need for recreational skiing. As long as you are supple and flexible enough for 6 days in a row. I really do think some people (for Holiday Harrys) take it far too seriously!
As long as I can squat with my back to the wall for 3 minutes, I am happy. Quads are the key muscles.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 17:17:10 GMT

Eat less and more exercise leads to weight loss ...... I think

Yeah it is supposed to be that easy. Been 4 weeks now though and I haven't shed a single pound :evil: Fitness is definitely improving though. Perhaps I'll just end up one of those fat people that everyone writes off, but actually whips the butt off the skinnies! :lol:

I never get properly fit, I really dont see the need for recreational skiing.

I don't disagree with that. Personally draw the line when my holiday suffers though. I want to be able to enjoy myself properly this year, and hopefully ski harder runs, which I think you need a little extra strength for. Last year I kept going all day and ended up falling a couple of times 'cos my legs didn't have enough left to keep me stable. Not good. Plus I need to lose weight anyway. Apparently I'm obese according to my BMI. Although it always has been strangely high, even when people kept telling me I looked a little thin it was 24. :roll:

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 18:06:18 GMT

I need to shed a few pounds too, staying off the wine in the week will help me, I eat sensibly and healthily, I know what I need to do.

I've got the Ingams book somewhere, its quite good for giving you a time scale depending on how much exercise you currently do. We're getting our bikes out tomorrow :D

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 18:23:33 GMT

I never ski without two knee supports for my dodgy old knees, and a pair of warm up shorts to protect my hamstrings, and I have not had a tweak since.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 18:39:19 GMT

My 2p's worth. If you don't want to improve, you don't need to be fit and flexible. If you want to up your game, being fitter and lighter will help make this easier and help to protect you from strains and sprains.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 19:48:09 GMT

bandit wrote:My 2p's worth. If you don't want to improve, you don't need to be fit and flexible. If you want to up your game, being fitter and lighter will help make this easier and help to protect you from strains and sprains.

Also, how can you just brush off falls.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 20:01:31 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:Eat less and more exercise leads to weight loss ...... I think

Also, no smoking.
And, yuk a reduction in/elimination of alchohol.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 20:04:49 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:I still haven't got the bike out of the garage yet ......... maybe tomorrow.

I'm off out for a 40 miler tomorrow morning. Great for leg strength and much less impact than running.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 20:24:00 GMT

Furthest I have run is 54 miles ~ but it was a loooong time ago! )

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 20:28:21 GMT

You ran 54 miles?? I'm not running I'm cycling. In training for a 100 mile sportive on Dartmoor next year. :shock:

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 20:34:59 GMT

EmmaEvs wrote:AllyG out of curiosity, what does it say in your Inghams book? I'm trying to work out some structure so I have goals and don't just give up when I get bored/tired!

EmmaEvs,
I have the book here. It gives you a progressive 8 week training program. It includes exercises for stamina, strength, stability (balance) and stretching.

The first year I used it I thought I was fairly fit, but the warm up routine totally knackered me! This consists of: one minute of jogging on the spot, one minute of star jumps, one minute of squats, one minute of rotating jumps (you jump turning your lower body one way and your upper body the other way), and lastly 5 X 5 jogging on the spot sprints. After that you do stretches - calf, back of thigh, front of thigh, back, chest, abdominals, and shoulder and upper back.

The exercises consist of things like lunges, squats, press ups (starting in the first week on your knees), triceps dips (with a chair behind you), the plank, and side shuffles.

As the weeks progress things get more difficult - like adding pulses to the squats, lifting small weights, crunches, and odd exercises like standing on one leg and rocking backwards and forwards.

I went running as well as doing these exercises.

After about 8 weeks I was amazingly fit. And last holiday it was great because I got into the 'advanced' ski-ing lesson group and I could keep up with the others. As Bandit says, being fit makes a huge difference, especially if it's with these special sort of exercises because they improve your balance and flexibility as well.

I am determined to get fit again. A couple of years ago someone got demoted into my ski group because he wasn't fit enough to ski with the higher group - how embarassing! I don't want that to happen to me. I have found that the higher up the groups you get the faster they ski and the less rests you get, so you really do have to be much fitter. Plus, you're expected to make much finer body movements to perform more complicated manouevres on skis so you've got to have really good balance and flexibility. And I also think you're less likely to be injured if you're fitter.

Best of luck everyone with starting your fitness training :D

Ally

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 6 Nov 2010 20:42:40 GMT

I have mentioned before, fitness is only a part of the needs. Strength and mobility are more important, particularly for avoidance or reduction in injury potential, also, when needed, to move quickly, to avoid trouble.
Still maintaining 1000 single leg squats per day, plus clock lunges, +......

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 00:08:25 GMT

bandit wrote:My 2p's worth. If you don't want to improve, you don't need to be fit and flexible. If you want to up your game, being fitter and lighter will help make this easier and help to protect you from strains and sprains.

Maybe for someone who skis as much as you do, but for holiday harry - rubbish!
I have improved immensely year in year out and I am not particularly fit, and I dont do anything to get fit.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 06:47:06 GMT

I must confess I had only been to the gym 4 or 5 times this year and realised a few weeks ago the partying had taken it's toll and needed to do something, I walked in the gym, asked for a plan to get me "ski fit" for 12th dec. Now I am committed to three times a week,eating healthy and cut right down on any falling down juice.

Its a hard routine but worth it.

Two weeks in and I feel that I could tackle any hill and I also mentally "fit" too. Still a long way to go.....

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 08:54:44 GMT

Also, no smoking.

Dave - hang on now. I liked you until you said that. :wink:

Seems like it's all a very personal choice. Whether to exercise or not, how often, doing what etc. I'll be really interested to see whether my efforts pay off this year. Or not :cry:

Thanks for the detail Ally. I'm really not surprised you were super fit in 8 weeks! Going to look back over it all again later today. Now I'm off for a short run while the roads are quiet :D

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 09:42:05 GMT

been doing lots of core stability stuff on the fit ball as well as 300 a day bounces on a bosu carrying 35kg....lots of quad stuff as well I found last year I was getting lactic burn in the quads when I got tired and was not in control ...mind you we were doing a fair bit every day

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 09:54:24 GMT

:shock: Oh no! I've got to make sure I don't lose weight!!!! I've just got new skis.

According to current advice 'length of ski' depends on weight and ability.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 11:16:38 GMT

Oh no! I've got to make sure I don't lose weight!!!!

That's my dream problem! :lol:

Easy solution - exercise to improve strength/fitness etc, then eat loads of lovely food to maintain your weight :D Bargain.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 12:29:35 GMT

snowb4ndit wrote: :shock: Oh no! I've got to make sure I don't lose weight!!!! I've just got new skis.

According to current advice 'length of ski' depends on weight and ability.

Simple solution Snowbandit - lose weight and then chop a few inches off the end of your new skis with a saw :lol:

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 12:57:49 GMT

snowb4ndit wrote: :shock: Oh no! I've got to make sure I don't lose weight!!!! I've just got new skis.

According to current advice 'length of ski' depends on weight and ability.

Simples, if you lose weight, I'll give you GBP50 for the skis, as I'm taller n' heavier )

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 15:03:04 GMT

Well my 2010 health regime starts tomorrow and I have decided to fill my pockets with rocks if I lose a bit of weight. :lol:

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 17:24:57 GMT

snowb4ndit wrote:Well my 2010 health regime starts tomorrow and I have decided to fill my pockets with rocks if I lose a bit of weight. :lol:

I don't think you need to put rocks in your pockets, just put all the avalanche gear we now need to be insured whilst ski-ing off-piste in your backpack, plus a few bottles of water etc. :D

And I walked several miles today - so I am making a start on my get fit to ski program!

DaveMac, can you really do one legged squats? I find the normal 2-legged variety quite hard enough :shock:

Ally

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 18:31:29 GMT

AllyG, I have introduced Dave Mac to the Bulgarian Split Squat, which is one of my staple exercises. Easy to do, harder to do correctly!
Plenty of video clips on the web if you want to try them.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 18:32:38 GMT

I am always fit and so I don't need to do anything specific for skiing.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 18:53:20 GMT

bandit wrote:AllyG, I have introduced Dave Mac to the Bulgarian Split Squat, which is one of my staple exercises. Easy to do, harder to do correctly!
Plenty of video clips on the web if you want to try them.

good that! try using a Swiss ball instead of the bench

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 19:23:08 GMT

bandit wrote:AllyG, I have introduced Dave Mac to the Bulgarian Split Squat, which is one of my staple exercises. Easy to do, harder to do correctly!
Plenty of video clips on the web if you want to try them.

Bandit, I checked this out, and it was an exercise that my physio, and sports scientist both specifically barred from my program. My prog is geared mainly to quads, and hence the single leg squats ~ but they don't need to be deep squats for skiers. Deep squats are great for weight lifters.

These two ladies worked out a ski strength prog for me, to allow me to manage my dodgy knee, but allow me to continue to bring significant speed pressure into play.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 19:27:54 GMT

getjim wrote:You ran 54 miles?? I'm not running I'm cycling. In training for a 100 mile sportive on Dartmoor next year. :shock:

Aye, I ran a number of 50 mile fell races, for which the training meant doing routine 35/40 mile Sunday runs. After a few years of this, I switched to mainstream cross-country and track athletics. Later, changed to running marathons, starting with the second London marathon.

Even now, I can still walk to the car, several times a day. )

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 19:48:06 GMT

Dave Mac, oh well, never mind. I do these, because they are not a deep squat, It's about the angles :D I have one dodgy knee and can't do deep squats.
My gym's staff had never seen them before and didn't really "get" what they were about.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sun, 7 Nov 2010 21:27:30 GMT

I agree the Bulgarian is not a full squat. The knee angle is close to 90 deg, and I go for a bit less than that. However, I do put some dynamics into the routine, roughly similar to the rhythm I might use when skiing short swings.

I was advised not to use weights, and given that the whole of my delicate 90kgms is going on a single leg bend, they are probably right!

And what does "Oh well never mind" mean?

We may have differing degrees of dodgyness! For a long time, due to successions of sports injuries, I have been unable to fully straighten or bend either leg.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Mon, 8 Nov 2010 07:29:46 GMT

Dave Mac, oh well never mind, it was worth making the suggestion as a variant for your regular routine :D

I had my dodgy knee opened up in the early 90's and the verdict was that it should have been attached to an OAP. I've now had an formal diagnosis of Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis. I do have full range of movement, but need the Patella braced, and was ordered to avoid keep knee bends.
Pretty ordinary age related stuff.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Mon, 8 Nov 2010 08:55:00 GMT

bandit wrote:Dave Mac, oh well never mind, it was worth making the suggestion as a variant for your regular routine :D

I had my dodgy knee opened up in the early 90's and the verdict was that it should have been attached to an OAP. I've now had an formal diagnosis of Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis. I do have full range of movement, but need the Patella braced, and was ordered to avoid keep knee bends.
Pretty ordinary age related stuff.

And I think all those old war wounds are what keep up us older skiers to a certain level, I am very selective to what I do when I ski, I am more than capable in skiing a piste full moguls but I don't because it will take too much out of my knees. So I have become very selective although with a nine year old in tow I have had my arm twisted to visited the snow park, so the morel for me is be sensible now and hopefully I'll still be skiing in my seventies.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Mon, 8 Nov 2010 09:37:24 GMT

I agree Ian, getting older means an increasing number of these sort of things. Luckily for me, my worst two injuries have been to my arms, not my legs (one arm on the dry ski slope and the other moving a large flower pot) and my legs are not affected. I broke my big toe last year on the moguls but it seems to be fine now.

It sounds as though Tony_H has one of these war wounds now in his knee.
Tony - are you going to wear a knee brace ski-ing, or do you reckon you can fix it with physio etc.?

I was watching the film 'Going for the Gold' last night, about Bill Johnson getting the first alpine sports Gold Medal for the U.S. in downhill racing in 1984. The ski-ing bits are really great to watch, and they've very cleverly stitched in real footage of the Olympics (or at least I reckon it's real).

I looked him up afterwards and Wikipedia says he never did very well again because he injured his kneee and his back, but he had another go at a medal and nearly killed himself and is now permanently brain damaged. Thinking about this made me realize that a slightly dodgy arm is not really that bad.

Ally

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Mon, 8 Nov 2010 09:59:29 GMT

Dave Mac wrote:

getjim wrote:You ran 54 miles?? I'm not running I'm cycling. In training for a 100 mile sportive on Dartmoor next year. :shock:

Aye, I ran a number of 50 mile fell races, for which the training meant doing routine 35/40 mile Sunday runs. After a few years of this, I switched to mainstream cross-country and track athletics. Later, changed to running marathons, starting with the second London marathon.

Even now, I can still walk to the car, several times a day. )

Blimey Dave...I ONLY managed a 12 mile fell run yesterday, which was hard enough! 50 miles is a looong way to run.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Mon, 8 Nov 2010 10:55:35 GMT

Coop wrote:

Dave Mac wrote:

getjim wrote:You ran 54 miles?? I'm not running I'm cycling. In training for a 100 mile sportive on Dartmoor next year. :shock:

Aye, I ran a number of 50 mile fell races, for which the training meant doing routine 35/40 mile Sunday runs. After a few years of this, I switched to mainstream cross-country and track athletics. Later, changed to running marathons, starting with the second London marathon.

Even now, I can still walk to the car, several times a day. )

Blimey Dave...I ONLY managed a 12 mile fell run yesterday, which was hard enough! 50 miles is a looong way to run.

I think you're both bonkers :lol:

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Mon, 8 Nov 2010 15:56:20 GMT

EmmaEvs wrote:

Coop wrote:

Dave Mac wrote:

getjim wrote:You ran 54 miles?? I'm not running I'm cycling. In training for a 100 mile sportive on Dartmoor next year. :shock:

Aye, I ran a number of 50 mile fell races, for which the training meant doing routine 35/40 mile Sunday runs. After a few years of this, I switched to mainstream cross-country and track athletics. Later, changed to running marathons, starting with the second London marathon.

Even now, I can still walk to the car, several times a day. )

Blimey Dave...I ONLY managed a 12 mile fell run yesterday, which was hard enough! 50 miles is a looong way to run.

I think you're both bonkers :lol:

I can't speak for Coop, but, yes, you are right!

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Mon, 8 Nov 2010 16:46:40 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:
And I think all those old war wounds are what keep up us older skiers to a certain level, I am very selective to what I do when I ski, I am more than capable in skiing a piste full moguls but I don't because it will take too much out of my knees.

I agree Ian, I too moderate my skiing, now, in the interests of skiing longevity!

so the morel for me is be sensible now and hopefully I'll still be skiing in my seventies

Oh Ian, this so lacks ambition! :wink:

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Mon, 8 Nov 2010 22:06:22 GMT

I'm tired just reading these posts - 12 mile fell run? Marathons? I need a lie down.

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Tue, 9 Nov 2010 09:57:54 GMT

Or a drink

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Thu, 11 Nov 2010 20:15:25 GMT

I run 3 times a week - but only about 25 miles in total, that's quite enough for me. Also do loads of cycling and yoga so I'm hoping to be in pretty good shape in February!

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 07:48:05 GMT

Kate - you sound amazingly fit! Well done for keeping it up :D
Coop - how on earth do you manage to run as far as that? I thought I was doing quite well to manage a 6 mile walk!

The most important thing to note about getting fit for ski-ing is to wrap yourself in cotton wool for the last 6 weeks or so before the holiday :lol:

You don't want to break your leg like Rossyhead, or get an ear infection like I did the week before you fly.

I now have to add walking long distances trundling a very heavy suitcase to the other things (like ski-ing on a dry slope) that I'm not going to do less than 6 weeks before my holiday. Yesterday I accidentally ran over my own foot with my suitcase and it really hurts! I could hardly walk afterwards. Luckily I'm not actually going anywhere on holiday - imagine how dreadful it would have been if I'd been off ski-ing and I couldn't ski because I'd ran over my foot with my suitcase :shock:

Ally

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 19:22:43 GMT

I'm off to the pub in a bit. It's a longish walk, down a steep hill on the way there and back up it again on the way back...That's good enough exercise for me! :lol:

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:44:07 GMT

AllyG wrote:Kate - you sound amazingly fit! Well done for keeping it up :D
Coop - how on earth do you manage to run as far as that? I thought I was doing quite well to manage a 6 mile walk!

The most important thing to note about getting fit for ski-ing is to wrap yourself in cotton wool for the last 6 weeks or so before the holiday :lol:

You don't want to break your leg like Rossyhead, or get an ear infection like I did the week before you fly.

I now have to add walking long distances trundling a very heavy suitcase to the other things (like ski-ing on a dry slope) that I'm not going to do less than 6 weeks before my holiday. Yesterday I accidentally ran over my own foot with my suitcase and it really hurts! I could hardly walk afterwards. Luckily I'm not actually going anywhere on holiday - imagine how dreadful it would have been if I'd been off ski-ing and I couldn't ski because I'd ran over my foot with my suitcase :shock:

Ally

Crikey Ally you are really, really accident prone :!: :cry: :cry:

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 13 Nov 2010 08:48:39 GMT

Brooksy, my foot is feeling much better now, thanks. I put ice and voltarol on it, and rested it.

It just appalled me that I could hurt it in such a stupid way. I had a PC plus keyboard, speakers and mouse in the suitcase and I was carrying the monitor in my other hand, and I had to get off the pavement into the road to get around a pile of rubbish on the pavement when I ran over my own foot with my suitcase.

But I think it will be a couple of days before I start my running training :cry:

Ally

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 13 Nov 2010 15:09:47 GMT

You are either one of the unluckiest people in the world Ally, or a really good story teller )

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 13 Nov 2010 21:11:38 GMT

Ally: I seem to remember you mentioning in a post several months ago you had been fitted for your own first pair of ski boots. Do you recommend this, rather thsn hiring ? What was the place you had them done ? Thanks ! (Off to Niederau again 2nd week Jan so may get some for the first time).

Re:Getting fit for skiing - again

Sat, 13 Nov 2010 22:31:40 GMT

Tony,
I don't think I'm that unlucky, as compared with other people, but I am quite a good story teller :D

Billip,
The report and my update are here:

http://www.j2ski.com/ski-chat-forum/posts/list/48/8320.page

I got 50 euros off the price of ski and boot hire for my next ski holiday, because of having my own boots, so financially I suppose it will take 8 ski holidays before I break even. I still think hiring is a very good option, as long as you go for quality skis and boots, but I do like my new boots :D

Now, back to getting fit for ski-ing.

Ally