"Are You Ski-Ready? The Essential Physical Preparation for Your Ski Trip"

Are you planning to go skiing this winter? Are you wondering if your body is ready to withstand the challenges you will face? Do you want to physically prepare and be ready for your winter vacation? In this text, you will find everything you need to do to be prepared for your first downhill run of the year.

It is known that skiing requires a certain level of physical preparedness and fitness because when we ski, we use muscles and the skeleton to perform movements that allow us to maintain balance and change direction. Some of our southern neighbors, known for their easy and slower way of life, consider skiing the best sport in the world because "you go but you stand still." This charming definition of skiing is true in one aspect. You do stand on an object attached to your body, more precisely your legs, putting you in an unnatural situation where you need to glide on snow and move your body in space. To glide properly and safely on snow while standing on skis, you must perform a series of movements with your entire body. These movementss involve all joints and a large part of the muscles, and their functional and rational use requires a certain level of strength, endurance, flexibility, and mobility. One reassuring factor is that achieving the necessary level of fitness for skiing does not require strenuous exercise or drastic changes in lifestyle. Our goal will not be to compete in the World Cup race but to prepare for our ski vacation to be enjoyable and free of health problems and difficulties.

As mentioned in the introduction, a certain level of strength, endurance, and flexibility in the muscles, as well as mobility in the joints, is necessary for the rational performance of skiing technique. Of course, the level of these abilities does not need to be as high as that of a marathon runner, weightlifter, or gymnast. For us as recreational skiers, it is necessary to improve the level of these abilities through simple and basic exercises.

Strength Many will say that the most important strength for skiing is in the lower extremities, i.e., the legs. It is undeniable that strong legs are a great benefit when skiing, but what we should strive for is balanced strength of the whole body. Squats and lunges are excellent exercises for strengthening the muscles of the lower extremities, and if you live in a residential building, forget about the elevator a few months before skiing. Do 3-4 sets of 15-30 squats and lunges three times a week. What is important in performing squats and lunges, and what will have a great impact on your skiing, your skiing posture, and consequently all movements during skiing, is that you perform squats and lunges in a way that the middle of your knee is approximately above the middle of your foot. Among other things, this will help you efficiently and correctly use the edges of your skis, which is perhaps the most important skill in modern skiing.

To ensure proper body posture and therefore a better body position for performing skiing movements, we must also focus on strengthening the core of the body – the abdominal muscles, lower back, and glutes. Holding a plank position on your forearms is something you should do at least three times a week. A few planks lasting 45 to 60 seconds will be enough to improve your posture and strengthen your core. Of course, if you have time, you can include some more exercises to strengthen the abdominal, back, and gluteal muscles.

Endurance There are numerous activities we can engage in to achieve a certain level of endurance for skiing. The most accessible activities for us and at the same time very effective are cycling, brisk walking, and light running. You should engage in some of these activities three times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes. If time and conditions allow, cycling three times a week for 15-20 kilometers would be an ideal preparation for your ski vacation. If you are not a fan of cycling or if conditions simply do not allow it, then intense walking or light running for a few kilometers would be an excellent substitute for cycling.

Flexibility and Mobility Special attention should be paid to the mobility of the joints, such as the ankle joint, knee joint, and hip joint, as well as the flexibility of the muscles surrounding these joints. The mobility and strength of these joints are crucial for skiing. The ankle joint and foot connect us to the skis through ski boots, and a strong and flexible ankle joint significantly increases our ability to perform skiing techniques correctly and enjoyably. By performing lateral movements of the ankle joint, known as inversion and eversion, we set the skis on their edges and establish a platform that will serve as a support for body movements in all necessary directions

Therefore, by relying on the inner arch of the foot, we perform eversion, and by shifting the foot to the outer arch, we perform inversion. Synchronized shifting of both feet from the inner arch to the outer arch and vice versa will help us develop a sense of the movements we make in the feet when transferring skis from one edge to the other.

The mobility of the lower leg in the sagittal plane (forward-backward) that we perform thanks to plantar and dorsal flexion of the foot is something that is very important for adjusting the correct stance on skis. You have probably heard advice before that you need to be more forward while skiing. This does not mean moving the entire body forward in the sagittal plane; it means moving the lower leg forward and establishing contact between the lower leg and the tongue of the boot while ensuring that the hips are roughly above the center of the ski boots. This fine adjustment of the skiing stance can be achieved through plantar or dorsal movement in the ankle joint.

So, from this brief explanation, we can conclude that ankle joints are very important and should be given special attention. Whether you are riding a bike, jogging, or walking fast, after 5-10 minutes of any of these activities, stop and do a few exercises for your joints and hips.

Regular gentle circling of the ankle joints, then lateral movements - from the inner to the outer arch of the foot, walking on tiptoes, heels, outer and inner arch of the foot will be sufficient for your ankle joints to be fully functional for skiing.

As for the knee joint, we must primarily take preventive action because the most common injuries in skiing are those related to the knee. When performing skiing techniques, knees primarily serve us for vertical movements as the knee alone cannot perform lateral movements. Squats, lunges, running, cycling, climbing stairs allow for strengthening the muscles of the lower extremities, which acts preventively against knee injuries. If we add light knee circles to the exercises we use to increase leg strength, as well as exercises to stretch the calf and quadriceps muscles, this will allow our knee to be mobile enough for all movements required in skiing.

Active use of the hips in performing skiing techniques distinguishes good skiers from those who are just on the path to becoming one. For recreational skiers, it is important to ensure mobility in the hip joint for all necessary movements. Flexion and extension in the hip joint, internal and external rotation in the hip joint, and abduction and adduction are movements we perform in the hip joint while skiing. Regarding flexion and extension in the hip joint, squats, lunges, and cycling will take care of this part. For the development of rotational movements in the hip joint, it would be best to use exercises that have a positive transfer to skiing technique execution. For example, one such exercise would be to fix the foot of one leg on the floor and with the other foot, relying on the inner arch of the foot, draw half a circle on the floor. Stretching exercises for the muscles surrounding the pelvic area will help us achieve the necessary flexibility in the hips.

By doing these simple basic exercises and movements, you will be ready to face skiing challenges and enjoy your time on the mountain. It should be noted that this training plan is primarily intended for beginner and intermediate level skiers and those who are yet to learn how to ski. Expose yourself to these activities at least two months before going to the mountain, and you will experience a new dimension of enjoying the pleasures of skiing.