Breathe Magazine

An important step to performing your best on the slopes and preventing injury is getting into shape before the season starts. Great skiing is all about leg strength, endurance, a strong core and great balance. “Sports-specific” training is key, as skiing very much depends on skill. So training your muscles to perform the movements skiing demands of them is the quickest and most effective way to get results.

Do these exercises twice through, three times a week, and get the lower body of a Ski Queen.

The Moves:

Wall-Sit:

Sitting against the wall builds up the lower-body isometric strength and endurance needed for skiing and snowboarding.

→ Position yourself standing with your back pressed against the wall and your feet out in front of you. Slide down so your knees are at a 90 degree angle, with your knees aligned directly above your toes (like you’re sitting in an invisible chair). Make sure you keep your weight on your heels, and hold your arms out in front of you so you aren’t tempted to use them as support. Hold for 30 seconds or up to one minute, depending on your fitness level.

Jump Lunges:

Plyometrics is a type of exercise that can train your body to withstand and absorb impact associated with skiing. It’s very important in developing muscle power and strength as well as improving agility.

→Start in a regular lunge, right foot forward with your hands on your hips. Immediately jump to a left leg lunge once you’re lunging with your right. Jump back and forth between legs, always keeping your back straight and your gluts low. Perform 15 jump lunges on each leg.

BOSU Squats:

For core strength, leg strength and balance, perform your squats on an unstable surface to engage the stabilizing muscles in your legs.

→Place your BOSU so the black side is facing up. Carefully step onto the BOSU and position your feet shoulder width apart. Keeping your chest up, slowly lower down into a squat and hold for three counts. Your legs may wiggle, but try and stay relaxed—this is how your muscles are going to learn to stabilize you. Keeping your weight on your heels, slowly come back to starting position. Repeat with holds, 15 times. Too easy? Hold a medicine ball or dumbbell under your chin for extra resistance.

Planks:

This is arguably the best exercise to train your core.

→Lie face down on a mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows. Make sure to keep your back flat, your breathing steady and your belly button pulled in (you should create a straight line from your shoulders down to your heels). Hold this position for 30-60 seconds, depending on your fitness level.

Don’t forget your cardio!

Skiing is an anaerobic activity, which means it requires short bursts of energy as opposed to long, prolonged endurance. To avoid fatigue and be able to ski all day long, keep your cardio routine quick and intense, like completing two-minute sprints with one minute of jogging to recover.

Get the Gear: BOSU® Balance Trainer

The BOSU, which stands for “Both Sides Up” or “Both Sides Utilized,” is the latest product to take the fitness industry by storm. The BOSU’s function is to provide a constantly unstable surface, so all your muscles must work over time to keep you balanced. This not only works more muscle groups at a time for faster results, but builds better balance, core strength and coordination. $99.99 • bosufitness.com

Kelly Turner is an ACE-certified personal trainer and freelance writer from Seattle, WA. To read more from Kelly, visit her personal training blog at everygymsnightmare.com