Debbie's Ski Prep

Since I am already a pretty active person when it comes to exercise, I usually don't have to prepare too early for skiing. But a little extra exercise never hurts, so beginning a month in advance is quite all right. In the past, I have started this prep two weeks before hitting the slopes, and it all turned out perfectly.

Before I begin, I must say **I am in no way a professional skier. I am not an athletic trainer. I have had no formal training in skiing. If you get injured while doing any of these exercises, I will not take responsibility for any injury. You are responsible for any injury that may be caused if you choose to follow any of these exercises. These exercises are simply what my body can manage, and what my body needs for skiing.** I repeat, **I am in no way a professional skier. I am not an athletic trainer. I have had no formal training in skiing. If you get injured while doing any of these exercises, I will not take responsibility for any injury. You are responsible for any injury that may be caused if you choose to follow any of these exercises. These exercises are simply what my body can manage, and what my body needs for skiing.** Hopefully, everyone has got the point. Shall I say it one more time? No? Okay, lets move on...

When Luke and I ski, we aim to arrive at the lifts as soon as they open. We also try to stay all day until the lifts close. Throughout the day, we find ourselves going from top to bottom without any stopping which can be 20-30 minutes of constant movement. With that being said, many muscle groups are worked and begin to burn throughout the day, so I try to mimic that pain in a my workouts. Here is the routine I use to prepare myself for long days on the slopes:

1.) Jogging ending with 2 minutes of a much quicker pace - at least 30 minutes

2.) Wall sit - toes pointed forward, legs at a 90 degree angle - 1 minute

3.) Wall sit - toes pointed inward, legs at a 90 degree angle - 1 minute

4.) Squats - 3 sets of 20

5.) Lunges - forward - 3 sets of 15 on each leg

6.) Frog Jumps - squat all the way down, touch the floor, jump, reach for ceiling - 3 sets of 10 (these are killer!)

7.) Sumo Squats - 3 sets of 20 reps

7.) Single Leg Backward Lunges - 3 sets of 15 on each leg

8.) Mountain Climbers - 3 sets of 15 on each leg

9.) Resistance Band Adductors - 3 sets of 25 on each leg

10.) Resistance Band Glutes - 3 sets of 25 on each leg

11.) Calf Raises - 3 sets of 25 on each leg

12.) Push Ups - 3 sets of 15

13.) Seal Raises - lay on stomach with arms and legs stretched out, lift everything but tummy off the floor as high as possible - 3 sets of 25 (works the back and I call them seal raises because you look/feel like a seal)

14.) Elbow Plank - 1 minute

15.) Side Plank - each side 1 minute

16.) Stretching - extreme focus on all parts of the body that were just worked - usually takes about 15 minutes

I try to jog a least 5 times a week, and I do the exercises right after the jog. I am not a big fan of being sore, so I work my way up with the exercises. When I first begin the prep, I usually do just 1 set of each exercise for the first two or three days. Then, I do 2 sets for a few days. After about a week, I am doing exactly what it says above which leaves at least a week of majorly strengthening my body. I usually go through the routine doing one set of each with little to no rest between each exercise, then repeat that two more times, and leave the planks and stretching for the very end.

Like I said, my body can manage this routine, and it has helped me prepare for 6 straight days of skiing without any soreness. I am still exhausted at the end of each day, but it helps so much with waking up the next day and being ready to go again! I hope that these exercises may come in handy for your future skiing adventure, but remember, I am not responsible for any injury that may occur. Happy Muscling :-)

Don't like my ski prep? 

This is a great site: www.coreperformance.com/knowledge/workouts/prepare-for-winter-ski-season.html

RANDOM FACT:

I am in no way a professional skier. I am not an athletic trainer. I have had no formal training in skiing. If you get injured while doing any of these exercises, I will not take responsibility for any injury. You are responsible for any injury that may be caused if you choose to follow any of these exercises. These exercises are simply what my body can manage, and what my body needs for skiing.

-Debbie-