If you physically prepare for your ski holidays, you will find the first turns on the piste much easier. In addition, the muscles will not feel so sore after the first day on skis, and you are less prone to injuries. SnowTrex knows how to use ski gymnastics in order to prepare perfectly for your upcoming skiing holiday. If you use the wonderful late summer or autumn days to train in fresh air, you will not only increase the fun you have during the training, but also the anticipation of your winter holiday.
Ski gymnastics before ski holidays
Before the skiing holiday it is important to prepare the muscles for the ski-specific stresses and strains. For that, recreational sports enthusiasts do not have to plan hours of training with special equipment. On the contrary: A few simple but very effective exercises which do not require any aids, are enough. They can be carried out flexibly at any location. Performed two to three times a week, they are an ideal addition to endurance training.
Warm up exercise
Walk on the spot for about 2 minutes, with your arms circling backwards as if you were crawling on your back.
“Mountain summit” exercise
Stand on one leg and bend your knee. The other leg is stretched out and draws mountain peaks into the air both in front and to the side of the body. Perform the exercise on each side for 30 seconds, three repetitions are ideal.
Sideways push-ups
Lie down on a mat or a soft surface and prop yourself up on your elbow, lying on the side. Depending on your fitness, your legs are either stretched or bent (simpler variant). Hold this position for 60 seconds per side. A rule for sideways push-ups: shoulder, pelvis, and knee form a straight line. Well-trained people can additionally lift up the upper leg and reduce the exercise to 30 seconds per side. Repeat three times.
Backwards push-ups
Sit on the ground and place your legs and hands in a rectangular form. Now press up your buttocks until your thighs and torso form a straight line. Now the lower legs are raised and lowered slowly. Repeat three times for 60 seconds.
Standing scale
One leg is pushed forward diagonally from a standing position, the entire weight is shifted onto it. Raise the rear leg until your torso and leg are in a horizontal position. Stay in this position shortly and stand still, then change the leg. 15 times per side, repeat three times.
Ski gymnastics on the day of skiing
First of all you should move your pelvis, shoulders, arms, wrists and neck in circles for about two minutes in order to softly strain the joint areas.
Afterwards it is advisable to jog on the spot for about three minutes while moving your arms, in order to warm up your muscles. The knees should be lifted high in between while jogging.
The next step is to get your body going by jumping. In these jumps, you turn your pelvis alternately to the left and right while you are in the air. Here, too, it is recommended to use your arms by bending them slightly. Two minutes are sufficient for this exercise.
Afterwards you should remain in the downhill squat for 30 to 60 seconds by bending your knees to a 90° angle, stretching your buttocks backwards and bending your arms.
Finally, stretch the thighs again by alternately pulling the right and left foot towards the buttocks and holding the position for 5-10 seconds.
Endurance exercises enhance ski gymnastics
Cycling, running, inline skating, mountain hiking and Nordic walking – these sports are particularly suitable for regular endurance training and ideally complement ski gymnastics. With this, winter sports enthusiasts create a solid basis for a fit body. It is important to note that the intensity of the training should be right. Experts advise that too much strain should be avoided. The training should be performed at a higher frequency, but always in a way that you start breathing more heavily, but do not get out of breath. Three training sessions per week are ideal for recreational athletes, each of which should last 45 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the level of fitness. There should be a day break between the sessions.
In this sense: break a leg!
