Pre-season Fitness Considerations for the Slopes

Boarders and two-plankers, the white powdery stuff will soon be upon us and we'll make that all to impulsive dash to make fresh tracks. Then we'll wake up the next day (if we last the first day) with the aches and pains that are all too familiar to the unprepared skier. It is time to plan our fitness for the slopes with the intention of not only making ourselves fitter but reducing the likelihood that we'll get injured.

In general, a basic exercise program needs about 10-12 weeks of exposure before any adaptation, so this might be about the time to start thinking about your ski-specific training routine. There are three basic components to consider in your preparation:

1. Your level of aerobic fitness.
2. Your level of strength.
3. Your injury risk potential.

Basic fitness and strength can go a long to not only helping you enjoy your day on the slopes but perhaps more importantly reduce the chances of getting a severe or mild injury. Following these tips will help a deal in all areas.

Aerobic Fitness
The first component you should consider should always be your aerobic fitness. This is important for a few reasons: firstly, the aerobic adaptation takes the longest, secondly, it allows you to last comfortably on the runs of 5-20 minutes, and thirdly, all recovery on the slopes requires a good level of aerobic base fitness. Even though you believe some runs are fast and anaerobic your ability to recover while sitting on chair is determined by your level of aerobic fitness. A final consideration is that if you ski at higher altitudes you really will need a high level of aerobic fitness to last. I like to prescribe bike riding as the form of cardio exercise to get into aerobic shape. It uses a lot of the important leg muscle used in skiing and can be easily varied using a stationary bike to give workouts of varying intensity. You ultimate goal should be to be able to ride for about 30 minutes continually, 3 times a week at a heart rate of 65-70% of maximum heart rate (maximum heart rate = 220-age).

Strength (+ Balance)
When you fatigue you will get weaker. So the best plan of attack is to combine both the aerobic and strength components. The muscles of the upper legs are arguably the most important for skiing and most of the exercises I have chosen will target this area. For both aerobic and strength I advise a progression of about 10% each 2 weeks. This 10% can be in time, intensity, or number of exercises. For the strength component I have identified 10 exercises of varying difficulty ranging from easy to difficult. As you get stronger you can add repetitions or time of the more difficult exercises. For all exercises the difficulty can be increased by adding weight.

1. Squat (and squat sit): to begin, start off without any weight and simply squat down in place with your arms out in front (as if in the tuck position). Go down until your thighs are level with the ground and then stand up again. Your legs should be about hip-width apart and toes straight ahead. This exercise can be extended into a squat sit where you hold the down position for about 5 seconds each time. The difficulty of the exercise can be increase by adding a weight to the shoulders. Start with @ 10 reps x 3 sets.
2. Wall-sit: a skiers favorite! This exercise is simply the squat outlined above but against the wall. Hips and shoulders should be at 90 degrees and then hold the position for 15-60 secs. Repeat 3 times. To increase difficulty do away from the wall
3. One legged squat: more difficult! The exercise is simply a squat on one leg. You may find it easier to these by holding onto a chair etc. to begin. You can have your other leg in front or behind. A difficult progession is to do the exercise without holding on to anything. Start with 8 reps on each leg x 3 sets.
4. Two legged bunny hops: Place a rolled up towel on the floor. Then simply jump back and forth over the towel using two legs at a time. Start with 3 sets of 8 reps. Increase difficulty by increasing the height you have to jump when going from side to side.
5. Double leg squeeze: Sit on the floor and get a light dumbell (@ 5lbs to start). Pick the dumb-bell up between your feet with legs outstretched. Then lift about 12 inches off the ground. Repeat 8 times for 3 sets. To increase difficulty either lift more weight, lift and hold for count of 5 seconds, or lift higher.
6. Squat thrust: a Eurpoean favorite. Start in the upright position and fall into the push-up position, then bring both legs up between your arms under your chest, then extend them again. Start with 3 sets of 10.
7. Burpee-squat thrust: same as squat thrust above except stand up straight in between each squat thrust. Start with 2 sets of 8.
8. Abdominal bicycle kicks: Lie on your back with your hands on your chest. Pick your legs off the ground with simulate the motion of riding a bicycle by moving your legs back and forth. Perform for 30 seconds. Increase time to increase difficulty.
9. Ski Power Curve: Get in the squat or ski-tuck position. Gently sway from side to side while keeping your feet on the ground. Your ankles and knees should go through the same range of motion. Perform 10 on each side x 2 sets.
10. Ski-Power Bound: Assume squat position as in above except this time hop back and forth from one leg to the other keeping the squat position at all times. You should be on one leg at a time. Again start with 10 reps on each side x 2 sets.

This circuit of exercises should take about 25-30 minutes allowing you to get a comprehensive pre-season ski routine completed in less than 60 minutes. Remember, you don't want to spoil your day on the slopes by being prematurely fatigued or even injured just because you are not in shape.

Article by Declan AJ Connolly
Assoc. Professor, UVM
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