 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello! and welcome to everyone. ( I hope that this is the correct section)
I was wondering whether the community had any good links to sites or knew of a good essential work scheme out for pre sking.
I know that everyone has a different level of fitness or standard activity life style, but I guess like many people I do not belong to a Gym, therefore I am loooking for exercises that I can do from home.
Any help would be much appreciated.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Paul, welcome to snowheads, IMO the best exercise for skiing is skiing, but there's got to be lots of things you can do to improve your stamina.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Paul Chittenden, welcome, get a bicycle and a backpack and use it every day even for the shopping run (you'll need to go more often), use stairs, walk, lock car keys away . . .
-THEN-
start looking for an exercise program. Ski fitness is a long term commitment and regrettably a month's quick fix doesn't exist (as much as I'd love it to). Not being funny but Pilates, Salsa and Tango are very good for skiing since they involve core strength, leg development and balance often at a tangent to direction of travel and they’re more fun than smelly gyms.
Your age makes a big difference in you level of exercise so . . . more info needed.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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If you are young enough to go straight out and run a few miles then do that.
Strenghten the legs and then go for stamina.
If your legs will not take the pounding of running and some people need to train to go running then
get a bike and do some energetic stuff.
This would be the best short-cut as it will improve balance, leg muscles and stamina.
In house any veriation of lunges should be good to start with, but you will still need stamina
But as David@traxvax, says the best training is skiing, so quit the job, divoice the missus, sell the house
and move out to the mountains, then you will not have this problem every year...!!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Every year i've said "i'm gonna get fit this season", obviously never got round to it and suffered when the holiday came round. Got a dog last year and walk it twice a day - sometimes on the flat, other times on the hills. Just back from Alpe D'huez, had no aches or pains, could ski all day no problem. Forget gyms get yourself a bitch.
Paul Chittenden - Walk everywhere possible for the next four weeks, if you live in flat country find some stairs and pound them - reckon you'll notice the difference.
Cheers
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Paul
Best thing you can do is something you enjoy, cos then youll actually do it.
Running works for me. If you cant run on roads because it jarrs your knees, try running on grassy foot paths.
Hill runs build both stamina and strength. Find a hill about 50-100m long and thats not so mountainous that you need crampons to get up it. Run up, walk/jog down while you get your breath back. Repeat until legs turn to jelly! 
Lunges/Squats build leg strength and you can do them at home. If they hurt your knees probably best to stop. they should hurt your muscles, not your joints.
For calves try the following:
Stand with just your toes on bottom stair or raised door sill. Raise slowly until you are standing on tip toe, then lower until feet are horizontal. If you want to intensify it do it on one leg. Repeat until it hurts.
Hope this helps, and have a great holiday.
Dave
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Mon 10-01-05 19:04; edited 1 time in total
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I need to get fit too - with less than 2 weeks to go.
I only know this after spending my first afternoon on the slopes last week skiing with a snowHead who is fit.
24 hours later I was still struggling to move!
Admittedly, after taking it easier, and sticking to the groomers on day 2, by day 3 I was feeling better.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Fitness and 4weeks to go ? One extra comment - don't overdo anything suggested here - it'll take more than 4weeks to repair the resultant muscle tear. If you have access to a rowing machine & stepper, go for it !
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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austin7 is right!!!
I think you should aim to condition what you've got rather than 'get fit'. Some ideas:
http://www.epicski.com/Content/TrainingAndHealth/Speedy/DrylandTraining/Dryland1.htm
Also - you can probably do useful balance work: one legged squats. Hold one leg up and your arms wide and out front. Then lower your other leg - just a bit. Alternate.
Better to do lots and lots of little ones than a few big ones.
The long term goal is 90degree bends on one leg - I can hardly manage past 45degrees!!
Here's a tip from the epicski forum (WTFH, did you see this thread? See if you can work your charms on lisamarie to post some more  ):
As long as you do it on a surface with a little give to it, (don't bang up your ankles or other connective tissue with a few hours to go) you might try foot-to-foot skier hops. Standing on your left foot, hop lightly to the right, landing only on your right foot (your left foot stays above the ground but tucks in near your right ankle) then spring back to the left without a pause, landing only on your left foot. Do a minute or two continuously, then rest, then do another minute or two, then rest. It's not a big jump to the side (lateral bounds) but a small hop. You're trying to emphasize quickness, not strength. There are several advantages of this exercise:
(1) it mimics the side to side motion and flex/extend motion of skiing.
(2) it's a relatively low impact version of plyometrics (but do it on a flat surface with good shoes and be careful not to twist an ankle right before your trip.)
(3) it's good anaerobic threshold training, as eventually you work up to longer sets.
(4) there's an agility/fast feet training component.
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Dave J,Wear The Fox Hat, austin7, lbt, Thank you for your tips!
lbt, the hop and the Squats seem really useful for the mimicing of leg action when turning.
Dave J, I guess I got to face up to it - early mornings in order to jog!
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You know it makes sense.
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Paul
Borrow a dog - its more fun with company!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Whatever exercise you take up, try to maintain it throughout the year to keep up your general fitness level. I've done that since my last skiing trip in March, just returned from 10 days skiing and not one muscle ache did I have whilst there - made all that effort worthwhile  especially when I remember the agony I had on my first few skiing trips where l had tried to get fit 6 weeks before going.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I find about six pints a night in the six months leading up to your trip helps, with maybe a few small glasses of schnapps as chasers in the fortnight before. (hint - if you don't have schnapps, Ronson Lighter Fluid is more or less the same) Also try walking with your shoes on the wrong feet a few times, to wake up those muscles used when toiling up to the first lift.
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