Fitness to combat wobbly legs on skis

The 2022/23 ski season has begun for professional athletes. While the world’s elite are meticulously preparing for the season, numerous recreational skiers are hurtling down the slopes unprepared. Regular fitness training helps them to glide down the slopes more elegantly and with better stamina. A not insignificant side effect: the risk of accidents can also be reduced with improved basic fitness.

“Snow yuhee” – that’s what many people are wishing for these days as they can hardly wait to make their tracks down the snow-covered slopes. Sandro Kaufmann, fitness trainer at ACTIV FITNESS Lucerne Bundesplatz, recommends a training plan divided into five sections for all snow sports fans as the ideal preparation for the ski season: Preparation, coordination, cardiovascular training, muscle training and finishing off.

1. preparation

Preparation is everything, and of course this also applies to an intensive workout. 2-3 functional bodyweight exercises help to warm up the body and mind for the upcoming workout. Ideally, warm-up exercises require both static and dynamic muscle work, stretch the myofascial connective tissue and also activate the mind via the sense of balance.

Example of static exercise: front plank: Forearms and the tips of the feet are in contact with the floor, the body forms a plank, the abdominal muscles are tensed the whole time. Hold the exercise once for 30-60 seconds (submaximal load).

Example dynamic exercise: Standing trunk rotation with the upper body in a forward position. During the alternating rotations from the entire spine, stretch the upper arm as far as possible. Hold 1x for 30-60 sec (submaximal load).

2. coordination

A good sense of balance, stable joints and quick reactions are crucial on skis. It is therefore advisable to complete 1-3 coordination exercises.

Take squats, for example: performed on an unstable surface (sypoba, inverted bosu), squats promote not only the sense of balance but also knee joint stability.

Example three-point on the balance pad: Stand on the balance pad with one leg and touch the floor with the other leg in three directions (front, side, back). In addition, briefly touch the opposite elbow with the knee of the playing leg between changes of direction. 30-60 sec. per leg. This exercise promotes coordination between the upper and lower body via the trunk.

3. cardiovascular training

Who wants to have to take their skis off again after an hour of fun on the slopes because they’ve run out of breath? Exactly, nobody!
20-30 minute interval training sessions on the treadmill or cross trainer help to achieve maximum progress in the area of endurance in as little time as possible. These units promote improved endurance by training the heart muscle, increasing the oxygen transport capacity of the blood and optimizing oxygen utilization in the muscle cell. If you do these interval units regularly, you will soon notice on the slopes that your legs don’t start to burn as quickly and your heart rate stays at a lower level for longer.

4. muscle training

So-called eccentric forces act on skiers, especially when cornering, squatting and skiing over bumps. This makes it all the more important to have strong muscles that can withstand such stresses. Targeted exercises (performed in 1-2 sets per muscle exercise) are best suited for the lower half of the body and the legs in particular. They help to minimize blows to the knee and counteract the centrifugal and gravitational forces that have a strong effect during skiing.

Take the leg press, for example: This trains the foot, knee and hip joint muscles simultaneously.

Take the lunge squat as an example: this exercise mainly trains the same muscles as the leg press, but with separate activation of the front leg. This load can be transferred very well to skiing, as one knee is slightly bent and the hips or torso are strained to maintain balance when making turns.

Speaking of the torso: don’t forget it, because without a stable core you lack the necessary balance:

Example front support: similar to the static preparation exercise, but with the forearms supported on a fitball. Due to the additional instability caused by the fitball, the torso now performs a similar task to skiing – it has to stabilize under load.

Example of back extension: trains the back of the torso and the lower back. It is possible to perform bends with a straight back or dynamically by rolling the back in during the downward movement.

Important: In order to train the muscles optimally and to achieve long-term progress, the range of tension (time under tension) should be changed every 4-12 weeks. In addition to anatomically correct exercise execution, the most important aspect of muscle training is full joint amplitude (range of motion) wherever possible. Training progress is also optimized if the sets are performed until the muscles are completely exhausted.

5th degree

To round off a rigorous and good workout, it is advisable to work on individual parts of the body with the fascia roll (also known as the black roll or trigger point roll). When used correctly, the rollers promote blood circulation and fluid exchange in the muscle fascia. This in turn can have a positive effect on muscle recovery. Preferred areas for skiers: buttocks, thighs, lower legs and back.

A training session like the one just described lasts an average of 70 minutes and should ideally be carried out twice a week to enable a longer and more intensive skiing experience. It is important not to train intensively two days before skiing so that the body can recover optimally. Then nothing stands in the way of perfect performance on the slopes.

Good luck putting these tips into practice! By the way, any ski sports fan who is at least 15 years old can register with a trainer at an ACTIV FITNESS studio to receive such a training plan.

With this in mind: Ski Heil!