How to Work Out for Your Ski Trip

If you’re heading off for a spell on the slopes anytime soon, it’s worth adjusting your workout routine accordingly to ensure you’re physically prepped and as protected as you can be against soreness and injury. Although any exercises that improve overall fitness, posture, stamina and balance will help, there are some that are non-negotiable.

Increase your cardio

Including cardio in your pre-ski routine is essential for many reasons, not least because it’ll help improve your energy levels while you’re there. Things like running, using the versaclimber or cycling are great additions to your workout as you’re likely to be exercising the exact same muscles you’ll be using on the slopes. The thinner mountain air will also require your heart and lungs to work much harder and cardio will help ensure they’re well prepped for any extra strain. For best results, include some form of cardio in all of your pre-holiday sessions and aim to vary the intensity of it within those.

Exercises for your upper body

Holding the correct position while skiing requires mammoth strength from your back, abs and lats, so it’s important that you support these with the right exercises. Including things like pull-downs and dumbbell rows will build strength in your lats which will in turn support your spine. Likewise, planks, dead bugs and crunches are all good at improving your core strength which will again help ease the strain put on your back while on the slopes.

Exercises for your lower body

When you ski, areas like your hips, quads and glutes do a lot of the obvious work so it’s important to focus on building strength but also stability to prevent injury to the most vulnerable areas like your knees. Any type of squat is good when it comes to your quads (try adding a mini band for extra resistance), while deadlifts, step ups and leg extensions will help your glutes and hamstrings stay strong and offer your hips much needed stability as you move through the snow. When it comes to your inner thighs, which come under a lot of pressure as you try to keep your skis together, exercises like lunges, side-step squats and leg lifts will help.