Forget the Summer Body: Get Winter Body Ready for Your Return to the Slopes
by James P. Outreach & PR ExecutiveSnow sports are by no means an easy sport. Asides from acute
concentration and mental endurance, you need to be physically fit.
If you aren’t ticking these boxes, the chances are you’re
putting yourself at risk when it comes to the slopes.
Unlike cyclists, cross-fitters, or for that matter, 90 per
cent of other sporting disciplinarians, most skiers and snowboarders can only
practice for two or three months a year.
Therefore, when they do finally get the opportunity to
return to the mountains, both their body and mind take an initial battering.
Now, for many enthusiasts, with the ongoing pandemic, it
seemed almost certain that a holiday to the likes of Andorra or Chamonix was
off the cards both this year and next.
However, with the effects of the virus in Europe beginning
to curtail, it appears that the chances of winter holidays could in fact be
considerably larger than we first anticipated. While many of us let the
prospect of our ‘summer bodies’ go out the window, now is surely the right time
to get winter ready.
Here, we take a look at what you can do to get yourself in
shape ahead of your reunion with the snow.
Endurance
Whether you’re skiing or snowboarding, the chances are
you’ll be up completing a high intensity daily schedule, with an early morning
start and a late afternoon finish.
There is no denying that this is physically taxing on the
body and for this reason you need to be able to enhance your capabilities in
regard to endurance.
Cardio, despite the fact it is often overlooked by various
non-runners, is by far the best method of developing your endurance. Mix up
your short runs with longer alternatives, in a two-days on, one-day off style
format.
We’d recommend committing to a few 20 to 45minute runs each
week, accompanied by one longer run that eclipses an hour. This will allow you
to improve your cardiovascular health, something you can directly apply to your
skiing or snowboarding.
Keeping track of your heart rate during these sessions is important
when it comes to aerobic activity – on these runs try to keep your heart rate
between 50-60% of your maximum effort.
Former Olympic skier Graham Bell notes that he enjoys dipping
in to cycling when he doesn’t have the opportunity to embrace the slopes.
It’s all in the breath
Regardless of what sport you’re doing, breathing is crucial.
Former pro slopestyle skier Ashley Battersby notes that “it helps calm
everything down… and brings more oxygen into the body to help the muscles
recover and chill out.”
How to improve your breathing techniques we hear you ask? Yoga
is the answer.
Yoga is, as Battersby suggests, one of the most closely
related things to skiing, in that the breathing exercises we conduct when we’re
on a mat are so similar to those that we’ll be exposing our bodies to when
we’re transcending a new terrain at high speeds.
If you’re looking for some motivation, why not call upon the
help of Dutch Athlete and Youtuber, Wim Hof. The record holder for a barefoot
half-marathon on ice and snow focuses his attention on breathing and how it
helps us adapt to uncomfortable situations and environments — mind over matter
if you will.
The Wim Hof technique, as it is affectionately known, is 30
quick deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth, followed by a
deep breath and then a long exhale — until you need to breathe again. Follow
this by inhaling and holding your breath for ten seconds. Keep doing this as
many times as you wish, and you will begin to witness the benefits.
Strength
While from the outside world it might appear that skiers and
snowboarders need nothing more than strength in their legs, it is in fact a
discipline that requires considerable upper body strength.
While lunges and squats should be the main focus of your
efforts, exercises which engage various body parts should also receive
attention. Small sets of heavy deadlifts can be particularly beneficial – try
splits of 3x3 or 3x5. Similarly, Olympic-style training exercises that you may
have witnessed cross fitters carrying out can also help with the functional
movements necessary for success on the slopes.
Strengthening of the core is paramount when it comes to snow
sports. The core, as a whole, is made up of various muscles, including the
pelvic floor muscles and the diaphragm.
Crunches, hip abductions, leg bridges, Russian twists, and,
of course, planks are all simple yet effective ways of developing your core
strength at home, without any equipment. How do they translate to the slopes,
though?
Well, the core is the centre point of the body and not only
will it allow you to be more agile when you’re cascading down the mountainside,
a strong core will maximise stability.
So, there you have it, if you’re looking to prepare for the
timely return to the slopes or you’re considering doing a gap year ski season, but
are confused about how to improve your fitness, these are just some of the ways
you can better yourself.
Sources:
https://www.skimag.com/ski-performance/why-breathing-matters-for-yoga
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Created on Aug 3rd 2020 10:25. Viewed 386 times.