 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pilates
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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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skimottaret, I do a few specific Pilates exercises given to me by an osteo who is a teacher of Pilates instructors - these target muscles in my back and have been invaluable when it starts to play up. I bought the book she recommended (The Official Body Control Pilates Book) to remind me how to do them properly and she wrote additional notes for me at the time as my back was really bad when I started them and I needed to introduce them gradually. She advised me NOT to go to organised classes as too many instructors don't take account of individual differences and expect everyone to just do the same thing at the same rate. She told me it's better to do exercises at home, listening to my body's feedback. If you can suggest any specific ones that would be useful for improving balance/flexibility for skiing, I can look them up and think about incorporating them. The book does recommend a whole list for skiing, but I am not sure which to pick as being the more important areas to work on.
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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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Butterfly, sounds to me like you're already doing more than most!!
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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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Butterfly, any cardio exercise will help - cycling is great, perhaps try and go out once per week. If running is no good for you, then how about fast walking?
Walking up and down stairs - gets the heart pumping and strengthens leg muscles, so skip the lift whenever you can.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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You might benefit from an aquafit class - low impact, usually allows you to work at your own level, and is a sociable activity which can be fitted into a tight schedule. Jogging in water helps balance and leg strength without the pounding on the ankles and feet, plus there are lots of other elements which can target specific needs, including general cardio work.
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Butterfly, sounds like you're in a similar position to me. Gym, running and anything high impact is a complete no-no to me, just far too painful. Pilates I can manage OK, although I tend to do it at home with a DVD rather than attending a class (too tricky with my work schedule). The exercises I struggle with are anything which involve laying on my side, I have extremely painful hips, but the other movements seem fine and I have definitely improved flexibility by sticking with it. I also swim every Saturday morning.
Walking is fine too, and if I have a spare hour at the weekend and the weather's not too bad, I usually take a brisk walk somewhere (and get strange looks for not having a dog!).
I realise compared to some this is not really a fitness schedule but as a recreational one-week per year skier, I manage fine.
Good luck!
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Thanks - exercise in water is certainly something to consider, but joining an aqua class is difficult because I am self-employed in a role where work appointments can crop up pretty much any time and I can't afford to turn any down! Eg last week I worked 6 full days including 2 evenings, but this week I am free Tues/Thurs. Any suggestions for things to do in a pool other than lane swimming? Apart from it being boring (!) I find that can be a strain on neck/lower back.
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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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Apart from it being boring (!) I find that can be a strain on neck/lower back.
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Do you swim breast-stroke and keep your hair-do dry? In which case it probably does strain your neck/back. Swim backstroke and keep pelvis in good position. But that needs a nice quiet pool.
You seem to be doing a fair bit, really, and certainly more than most - I'm impressed with one-footed on a balance ball whilst cooking the dinner. I managed to spill a whole frying pan of hot oil over my cooker top, all down the cupboard unit below and half way across the kitchen yesterday, whilst standing on both feet.
I try to do squats and lunges - you can fit them in anywhere, anytime, no equipment needed. I find lunges with right foot forward much more wobbly, so concentrate on them. Make sure your leading knee stays over the ankle of the supporting leg (not further forward). Lunging less far works the quads, lunging more far works hamstrings.
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there are loads of core and leg exercises you can do at home, and build up as you get nearer to your trip, and which will supplement your cardio training nicely.
EG, for your core: knees to chest (reverse crunches), alternate elbow to knee (aka bicycling), opp arm/leg back raises, glute bridges, 1 leg glute bridges, windscreen wipers (lie on back with legs straight up in air, and slowly roll them from side to side), as well as the better known crunches, sit ups etc. Also the pilates ex's are good here, and most are even better done on a swiss ball. You can finish your circuit with some plank or side plank holds to get a nice burn,
For your legs, you want a mix of lunges (start with slow lunges with a deliberate pause in the lunge position, build to more dynamic ones when you power back, and eventually even to jumping lnuges); squats (start with nice slow ones, try with arms forward, crossed, on ears etc; then build to 1 leg squats if you can); and hamstring exercises (a good one at home is to lie on back, with 1 heel on a chair and knee bent, and lift up your hips off the floor into a bridge position, keeping hips square to the ground). You can finish the leg circuit by doing a balance test (eg 1 leg standing, wih eyes shut for a minute each leg)
You could do core one day and legs the next,and try to do 3 of each per week. trry and make a circuit of around 4-5 of the core ex's and 3 of the legs (1 lunge, 1 squat 1 hamstring), do 10-12 reps of each, and repeat the circuit 3 times. Build up as time goes by, add more reps/circuits, and progress to harder variants.
Then,no problem to be super fit when you go away!!
If the easy ones here are still too much, then see a physio and get a professional to advise how to rebalance your body, and build up the specific weak areas.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Am I the only one feeling out of breath just reading that.  I'm going to have a nice cup of tea.
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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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I'm going to have a nice cup of tea.
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thats Ok as long as you stand on 1 leg while you make it!!
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gra, OK, it's a deal. I do stand on one leg when I clean my teeth (that's when I'm not doing my calf stretches). I also recite irregular french verbs in my head at the same time. 
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You know it makes sense.
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pam w, this kind of thing? --> je fais / j'ai fait / je faisais / j'avais fait / je ferai / j'aurai fait / je ferais / j'aurais fait / je fasse / j'aie fait ............... du ski (what else?)
Sounds like how I get to sleep some nights ......... ok so I had to look up the subjunctive.
Oh and I don't do the balance board thingy by the cooker - it's the other side of the kitchen.
gra, I'd be well pleased if I could do that lot! Thanks as there are some good ideas to consider there, esp the hamstring ones as I have found I sometimes get cramp up the back of the thigh when bending one knee and drawing my heel back.
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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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Butterfly, I don't do more than dog walking, climbing and a bit of Badminton. We're lucky that there is a steepish 350m high hill close by, so I try to do that once a week at a good pace to keep the cardo sorted and build leg strength. The climbing helps with core \ upper body strength, balance and flexibility.
A November trip to Tignes helps with acclimatisation for altitude
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A November trip to Tignes helps with acclimatisation for altitude
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only if you don't undo the good work by coming back down again.
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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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pam w, no, seems to hold up fine for me, although most of the places I go aren't at 3500m 
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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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Butterfly, all the strength exercises on here are useful, but I really think that increasing your aerobic fitness will help you above anything else. That's easy to fit in round a busy schedule - brisk walking and stair climbing can be done at any time.
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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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Butterfly, I've worked very hard on my fitness over the past 20 months (following some serious health problems) and last season I couldn't believe the difference it made I started skiing in my early forties, not particularly fit, and struggled with confidence issues, I can honestly say that getting fitter has been one of the best things I've done as far as improving my skiing goes, (after lessons of course!). There'll be lots you can do, and loads of information online, it's just putting something together that is balanced, not too time consuming, enjoyable and works for you.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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thanks skimum, that's really encouraging.
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now although this is going to seem like a promotion, it really isn't :0
the website iwantsixpackabs.com has a sixteen week program which focuses on developing your core and is pretty low impact. I only did it for 5 weeks but noticed a huge difference in my flexibility & balance - both of which can only help your skiing.
i think you need to signup now, but you can get around it by accessing the program urls directly via iwantsixpackabs.com/workout/week1.html , iwantsixpackabs.com/workout/week2.html
i found it progressed nicely, getting more difficult each week. however if you find later weeks too full on you could always stick to the first couple of weeks excercises and make them more difficult by incorportating your wobble board &/or weights
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vandarle, welcome to Snowheads.
Is it your website or are you just a satisfied customer?
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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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Nope, not my website, just very happy with the results I achieved after 5 weeks earlier in the year. I certainly didn't get 'buff' but my general fitness went through the roof. I have just started it again with an aim to get through the whole program... could be a little tricky with all the xmas drinking coming up though 
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| Watching my last season video I notice I have a strong tendency to ski with ankles apart and knees together - what might help me alter that? |
You and Easiski would know better than me  but I wondered if that stance wasn't some subconscious preparation for a quick snowplough rather than a fitness issue? Just a thought from another nervous skier...
On fitness I've managed to find time for a half hour walk up and down the local hill 5 times a weeks which has helped me a lot. Don't know if that's an option in your part of Lincolnshire though...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Watching my last season video I notice I have a strong tendency to ski with ankles apart and knees together - what might help me alter that?
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there is an exercise where you put an elastic round your knees and have to hold it up by keeping your knees apart (whilst skiing, that is, not recommended in Tescos unless you want some Funny Looks). Never tried it, though. But I agree that it doesn't sound like a fitness issue. Of course, you could be outrageously knock-kneed!
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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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Butterfly, Have you considered Yoga...great for strengthening muscles and increasing your balance and flexibility. I've recently downloaded some audio classes from www.yoga2hear.co.uk which I'm loving....they do a beginners snow sports specific class which I'm doing alongside some of their other stuff. Other than that I do pilates and regular walking as my only ski trip preparation.....I simply don't have time to fit more into my life!
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You could jog in the swimming pool. There's a few in my local baths who do that but you may get funny looks.
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You know it makes sense.
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peura, I think you might have a point there about the snowplough and no, hills are not plentiful here! I do however do quite a bit of stair climbing one way and another. My Friday contract has the workshop up a steep hill, canteen down the hill & up on the 3rd floor of the new building and the office on the other side of the road which is accessed by a bridge from the 3rd floor of the old building! Apart from that the exercise I do most of is church bell ringing. That requires stair climbing for access and then a certain amount of upper body exercise for the ringing though being highly experienced it's less effort for me than for many. I regularly ring for half an hour Sunday morning, an hour non-stop Sunday afternoon, sometimes twice at different places, 90-min practice sessions 2-3 times a week plus some weeks there are peals which can be 3-3.5 hours non-stop.
pam w, just got the image of doing it round Tesco's! My damaged ankle does tend to collapse inwards, though work on the balance board this year has shown some brilliant results with it. I can now balance on that leg for a short while, whereas it was impossible a year ago. It's still not as good as the other side, but improving. On my trip to Hemel last Monday I was videoed and I am delighted to say the knock-kneedness has reduced. Rob said it's definitely not what he'd call an A-frame.
homphomp, no, not tried Yoga since the kids were small and I joined an existing class that was too hard for me and I put my back out trying to do the same as the rest  .
I will have a look at that website and at the one recommended by vandarle, though I fear the current situation is definitely more "Party 7" than emergent "Six pack"!
Nik, I did quite a lot of walking in a pool for rehab after doing my ankle in. It was liberating as when I started I couldn't walk on dry land without crutches, but could walk in the water. I got peculiar looks even then until people saw the crutches in use! I have been wondering about trying to do various exercises in the pool, but the one near here isn't ideal - just over waist deep throughout and I'd prefer chest depth for that. I've investigated aqua-aerobics but there are no classes when I could go.
Just thinking this afternoon as I am not at work I should go out and clean both our cars in & out - that's good exercise. I noticed I DO have insect remover and detergent so there is no excuse  .
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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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I do some jogging around the block everyday and form time to time I do some laps in the pool and I also engage in wall climbing.
Dentist Visalia | Dental Salinas
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Poster: A snowHead
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Butterfly, my physio made me an "ankle exerciser"... easiski can attest my right ankle kind of does not leave my foot in anything like normal position...
This ankle exercise consists of 2 strips about 1 inch wide cut through a car inner tube... so you get a loop... then the 2 are looped together to form a 8 shape... on goes on each foot... 1 foot stays still, othet foot draws circles - like running across the surface of a bowl....
Works well and price is great! You can do it watching TV, reading a book... having a coffee...
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