Tips on how to hit the slopes in style
Getting in Shape For Ski Season
By Alison Grey, 11-20-07
On a recent hike to the “M” (Bozeman’s), as I was slowly huffing and puffing my way up the final switchbacks, I was passed by a hoard of young children running past me. A young girl, maybe seven-years-old with thighs the size of my wrists smiled and waved as she ran past me. I forced a grin in-between my gasps for air. It was the Bridger Ski Foundation crew preparing themselves for the season. At the top they were cheering and high-fiving each other. They still had energy, and I felt pathetic.
It was official; a lazy off-season spent eating, drinking and lounging had left little time for any sort of fitness routine. I knew if I was going to spend my winter hiking the Ridge and actually enjoying my powder days instead of focusing on sore muscles, I was going to have to do something about my pathetic state of fitness.
I decided to head to the experts, Cindy Fuhrman and Kris Bodean at the Downtown Ridge Athletic Club, who I jointly picked their brains to answer a few questions for those of us with a little work to do in the fitness arena.
Fuhrman, manager of the downtown gym, has been a trainer for over a dozen years specializing in weight loss and postural stabilization and alignment, and holds her bachelors in Exercise Physiology. And Bodean is a certified personal trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), holds her degree in Health and Fitness and specializes in rehabilitation, strength training and general fitness.
Is it really that important to prepare for ski season, and not just jump right in there once the season starts?
Prepare to prevent pain and injury! There is no way to practice skiing during the off-season, but training your heart (through a good cardio vascular program) and training muscles for endurance will help you to prepare. Adding a stretching routine or yoga to your pre-season program will help cultivate flexibility and balance. Going into the season in decent cardiovascular health with strong, supple muscles may not prevent the soreness felt in the muscles one only uses for skiing, but it will help protect you from season ending injuries. If you are not sure where to start, consult a personal trainer or ski coach and have them design a program perfect for your needs and ability.
What do you guys see as the most common injuries related to ski season?
Both skiing and snowboarding can result in sports injuries, but they tend to have slightly different injury patterns. Skiers are more likely to have knee injuries (from twisting motion during falls), and snowboarders tend to have more upper body injuries (as a result of falling on an outstretched hand).
So, how does pre-season training reduce the risk of injury?
Through increased muscle strength and flexibility, skiers will have better control of their bodies and equipment resulting in a longer, more enjoyable ski season.
Can you recommend some ideas for those of us out looking to get in shape for the season? What can people start doing right now to prepare for skiing and boarding?
To help prepare for ski season, the Ridge Downtown is offering a four week course to “Jump Start” your conditioning through functional fitness moves including agility, balance and strength. If you prefer to design your own program, make sure to incorporate exercises that increase balance (for example, use the stability ball in place of benches while lifting). You can also do lunges and squats and adopt a Pilates program (join a class or buy a video). Low back extensions and abdominal crunches strengthen the main muscles of the core. It’s also important not to forget those stabilizing muscles of your core and strengthen your obliques.
Do you have any particular tips for Tele-skiers?
Tele-skiers need to focus on the muscles in their legs, including quads and hamstrings, to make sure they are strong enough to take the stress instead of their knees taking it all.
And finally, what can we do DURING ski season?
Be sure to start the day out slowly to allow for a “warm-up” period for the muscles and joints, and if you’re feeling fatigued, rest for a little while to allow the muscle strength to recover. Be sure to drink lots of water even though it’s cold outside and do some stretching at the end of the day.
Thanks ladies! Now all I need is some motivation!
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If you are looking for a well rounded way to get in shape for the ski season there are a couple of great and affordable options. Trail running is a great one; an incredible full legg work out, it hones foot work and coordination, and you get to breathe clean mountain air, not the BO from some desk jocky that is huffing and dripping on the treadmill next to you. Mountain biking is probably the single best way to train for ski season. It is a great leg workout, without the knee jarring of running, its an incredible cardio workout (once again clean air), and once you get to the top you will be taking in views of all the mountains that will soon be laden with snow. Oh, I almost forgot the best part; you get to glide effortlessly down hill, carving turns and taking a little air here and there (sounds a little like skiing doesn’t it).
For those that the feel the pain of being cooped up in a gym and breathing recycled air doesn’t out way the benefits of doing crouches, lunges, and lifting weights; then they will find that these exercises will certainly contribute to a well rounded physical training program. However, it is important to rember this will never replace the physical and mental satisfaction of running about in the mountains for the afternoon.
One more thing, always stretch… before and after… every time.