Perfect Ski Posture : So you’re going skiing

Perfect Ski Posture : So you’re going skiing
The season is fast approaching and now really is the time to be getting your body into shape so you’re fit for skiing.

One of the best recommended holidays I always hear about is skiing.  People who are going get so excited because of the hype from all their friends who have been and people who have been can’t get enough of it.  Apart from it being too cold to sunbathe and the beach being substituted for a slope covered in snow, skiing seems like the perfect holiday!…. Right??

However, to every upside comes a downside and I don’t mean one of the mountains used as a slope.  Feeling the adrenaline rush through your veins as you zoom down a slope of snow is enough to make anyone feel like they are flying. However, if you fatigue because of lack of fitness, muscular endurance, balance or coordination (to name a few factors), there is a chance you could end up in a situation that gets you or someone else injured.

That’s why I’ve made this quick help guide on “Perfect Ski Posture” for anyone who thinks they may need that little help with their fitness before they hit the slopes (hopefully not literally, though!).

Start early!

Ok, so for some this may seem a little obvious but if you want to get fit for skiing or anything, in fact, you need to start well before you go.  Starting a week or two before your holiday or event won’t make enough improvement to your cardiovascular fitness.  As we all know skiing is a sport that uses a huge amount of energy, therefore the fitter you are the longer you can enjoy the slopes, not to mention the faster your recovery will be. Just going for a quick run won’t cut it!

So you want to get fit ready for this epic skiing trip you’ve got coming up! So what exercise should you do? Running? Yes, running will improve your fitness.  However, running is an endurance exercise (unless you’re doing the 100m sprint of course), so it means long workouts that burn a lot of calories…. great right? Not as much as you think! Yes, you need the endurance but you also need some strength.  So try doing a gym session or a weight session of some sort a few times a week.  Building up your strength will allow you to have more control while skiing, making you safer on your skis and you get to enjoy the slopes with less effort.

Could you walk a tightrope?

Ah…. ok you don’t need to join a circus to enjoy skiing (although some of those trapeze artists are incredibly strong!).  But you do need a solid core. By building your core you lay down a foundation for your balance, strength, coordination and muscular endurance to develop and work from in an efficient way. Furthermore, your core can also help prevent injury such as low back pain and give you better posture on and off the slopes.  If you’re looking to build your core it’s a little more than just sit-ups.  There are exercises such as the plank and supermans you can do to build your core with Pilates, that completely works your core while improving your flexibility and muscular endurance.

Easy tiger!

With all this being said, I’m sure you’re now keen to jump straight into a new exercise routine, so you’re going into your holiday with the strength and fitness of an Olympic athlete…. right?  You may think that’s a good idea, but jumping straight into a new fitness programme (especially if you haven’t done one for a while) isn’t always the best idea.  You need to gradually build up your exercise tolerance.

Start by going to the gym or doing some exercise 2-3 times per week for about 30mins-45mins a session.  Then as you feel yourself getting fitter, a little stronger or recovering better, step it up a little.  Sometimes going into a new fitness routine too fast, can cause you to see it as a chore.  That’s when you start to lose motivation and fall off the routine… (e.g. the classic new year revolutionist…. you know who you are!).

So Pace Yourself!

Yes, you have the goal of getting fitter for your holiday but there’s an easy way (easy as in pacing…training should be moderately difficult for any progress) or a hard way, you decide how you do it. If you’re stuck for ideas, there’s loads of help out there that can help, here are a few examples:

Winter sports can be the perfect way to unwind, exercise hard and have fun. Now is the time to start getting yourself fit and begin picturing your ‘perfect ski posture’ on the slopes.

We hope this will increase your enjoyment of your week or two away but also reduce the risk of injuries.   Injury prevention on the slopes can hugely improve your enjoyment and also reduce that second to third-day muscle soreness that people tend to get. Unfortunately, we cannot control the weather, but you can control your fitness and strength, therefore, crack on with these exercises and you will help to prepare your body for the mountains.

If you have any questions visit www.posture-doctor.com or call us on 028 867 61861

If you have any questions visit www.posture-doctor.com or call us on 028 867 61861

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