6 Best Exercises to Get Your Body Ready for Skiing

One of the reasons many of us look forward to the arrival of winter temperatures is the opportunity to go snow skiing. Skiing isn't just for pleasure; it's also a great whole-body workout that emphasizes endurance, balance, and core strength.

Downhill skiing is an excellent cardiovascular workout that tests your legs, core, balance, and endurance. Being on the mountain is also a terrific way to stay active and enjoy the winter months.

The start of the ski season has arrived for the majority of us, and we have not prepared our bodies for the intensity of exercise that comes with a full day of skiing.

Get Set Ready for Skiing

If you truly want to make the most of your time on the slopes, there are a number of ski workouts you can practice in the weeks and months leading up to your trip. This will not only boost your performance but also lower your risk of injury.

You'll have a better skiing experience if you're in better shape. It's never too late to begin skiing exercises, and there are routines that can be done at home as well as in the gym. The earlier you begin, the better, but even if you're a complete beginner on the slopes, these routines may make a significant difference.

1) Calf raises

Your feet and ankles, after all, are what keep your entire body glued to your skis. Using calf raises as part of your skiing routine will help you strengthen your calves and ankles.

Here are the steps to follow:

• Simply stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Raise yourself up onto the balls of your feet while maintaining strength and alignment in your calves and ankles to complete a calf raise.

2) Front squats

You don't want your upper body to collapse while skiing downhill. You want to ski in a straight line. This low-rep, high-weight movement can help you strengthen your core and lower body.

Here are the steps to follow:

• Lower your butt to the ground while standing with a barbell or kettlebell on your jaw.
• As you squat down, take a deep breath and then exhale as you stand back up.
• As you gently return to your starting posture, keep your core engaged and your back straight.
• Perform six rounds of four to six reps on each side.

3) Alternating lunges

Negative contractions are used in alternating lunges to lengthen and strengthen your muscles and increase downhill skiing power and control.

Here are the steps to follow:

• Step forward with your left foot into a lunge, keeping your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Maintain a 90-degree bend on your left leg, with your right knee practically touching the ground behind you.
• Return to the beginning posture with your feet apart by pushing off your front heel.
• Rep with your right leg. For each leg, do 10 to 20 reps.

4) Russian twists

This core-specific exercise is excellent for strengthening the oblique muscles you'll need when navigating turns on the mountain.

Here are the steps to follow:

• Sit on the ground with your legs and hips bent at a 90-degree angle and lean up slightly.
• Hold a dumbbell or a weight plate with your arms bent away from your chest.
• Engage your core and rotate your upper body to the right as far as you can without hitting the ground, with your feet off the floor.
• Twist to the other side after returning to the center.
• A twist to either side is one repetition.
• Three rounds of 10 to 20 reps are recommended.

5)Single-leg deadlifts

Your ankle stability can have a significant impact on your balance while skiing. A single-leg deadlift works your body's muscles in a similar way to skiing down a hill.

Here are the steps to follow:

• To begin with, stand completely upright.
• Extend your hands ahead, bend forward at the same time, and slowly elevate one of your legs behind you, keeping the other leg slightly bent at the knee to provide balance.
• As you lean forward, make sure your back leg is as straight as possible and in line with the rest of your body, and that your arms are extended forwards but not touching the ground.
• Hold for a few seconds on the ground with your base leg, then release and return to your starting position.
• Rep 4–5 times more, then swap legs.

6) Lateral Hops

You can add a little additional effort by doing lateral hops over a stair stepper. This will exercise leg muscles that aren't always used when moving forward or backward.

Here are the steps to follow:

• Place your feet next to each other in a neutral stance adjacent to a stair stepper.
• Squat down and blast up and sideways, landing firmly on the other side of the stair stepper with both feet.
• Return to the opposite side of the stair stepper in the same manner. If you don't have a stair stepper, you can substitute something else.

These exercises are sure to build your core and strengthen your muscles before you get in the snow swooshing around!