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How to get fit for the slopes

Skiing can have a positive effect on your mental and emotional well-being, reducing anxiety, improving your cognitive skills, and helping lift your mood.

There is never a bad time to start planning your next holiday on the slopes. The health benefits of skiing have been extensively documented and are one of the key reasons why thousands of holidaymakers go for this type of vacation. Skiing can have a positive effect on your mental and emotional well-being, reducing anxiety, improving your cognitive skills, and helping lift your mood. Like other types of outdoor exercise, skiing can have a beneficial impact on your overall fitness levels. Skiing involves aerobic exercise, which has been proven to improve heart function, endurance, and to provide a great workout to the muscles in the lower body.
 
At MountVacation we specialise in offering skiing holidays all over Europe. There are literally hundreds of destinations and thousands of facilities to choose from for your next skiing holiday. But if you want to make the most of your next skiing holiday, it is essential that you prepare for it by getting physically and mentally ready. Continue reading to learn how.


 

First things first
 
The first thing that you'll want to do is increase the flexibility of your muscles. This will prevent common injuries like pulled muscles in the lower leg, ruptured Achilles tendons, lower back pain, and damage to the knee ligaments. You could start with a combination of sit ups, burpees, box jumps, and side lunges, which have the added advantage of improving your overall fitness levels while mobilising and adding flexibility to your joints. You can also combine your static flexibility training with swimming, cycling, or jogging.


 

Working on strength
 
Have you ever noticed how skiers seem to just glide effortlessly over the slopes? Well, don't be deceived by how easy or undemanding this sport looks like. In fact, skiers need to have strong muscles that can support the pressure put on them by the very dynamics of this sport. Your strength training programme could include leg presses, harmstring curls, wall squats, and lateral leg jumps. 
 
Don't forget that your strength conditioning drills should not only focus on the arms and legs, but also on your core. Regardless of how strong your arms and legs are, if your core muscles are weak you'll soon come across balance and stability problems on the slopes. A well-planned core strengthening routine should include bridges, knee fold tucks, side crunches, pike slides, and oblique crunches. 
 
In addition to these exercises, you could also consider taking part in ice skating or rollerblading sessions, as these will train your body for the kind of movements that you will repeating over and over on the slopes, while improving muscle tone, strength, and coordination. 


 

Getting fit for the slopes: how much and how often?
 
It is generally recommended that you start a pre-ski season routine 4 to 6 weeks prior to your holiday, although you could manage with a 3-week plan if you already do other types of physical exercise. 
 
The key is to gradually increasing the intensity of your workouts (measured by the number of repetitions). Start with 10 repetitions and work your way up to 20 or 30, alternating them with rest periods of 1-2 minutes. Lastly, don't forget to schedule a weekly rest day to allow your muscles to recover and to prevent injuries through over training.
 
Co-Founder & Managing Director - Travel Media Applications | Website | + Posts

Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.

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