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If you’ve booked your ski holiday you are probably already envious of the amazing snow conditions the early birds have had in the run up to Christmas. Powder snow on the pistes and virtually all the runs to themselves. But have you given any thought to getting the most from your holiday? There can be few activity holidays that attract so many people of such diverse attitudes and physical ability. Whether you enjoy Glühwein after cruising the blues or a Red Bull before venturing off the top of a black run, a little time spent preparing your body for the physical nature of your holiday will be well worth it. Not only will you be able to get more enjoyment from your skiing, it will also help reduce the risk of injury occurring.
For skiing we need more than just strong thighs. We also need to improve our core strength, upper body strength and crucially, our balance. Gone are the days where all you were advised to do was sit against the wall until your thighs burned red hot! There is so much more you can do to prepare yourself to get more fun and enjoyment from your ski holiday. With this in mind we have put together a ski fitness class suited to all levels of fitness and ability. Each exercise has different levels of difficulty, allowing you to push yourself as far as you feel comfortable and more if you want to! Taken by Jamie, our fully qualified personal trainer who works closely with our physio team, it is held at our Tavistock Physio Clinics Health and Rehab Gym. All the exercises are designed to help prepare you for the demands skiing puts on your body.
Although strengthening your thighs is essential to improve your skiing, did you realise that having strong hamstrings can reduce the chances of injuring your anterior cruciate ligaments? This is one of the most common skiing injuries as this muscle group is a major stabiliser of the knee joint. Equally important and often overlooked are exercises that focus on ability to balance. Virtually everyone, by doing some simple exercises, can greatly improve their ability to balance and cope better with the inherent instability of being on skis.
You may wonder why your core muscle strength matters if your legs are doing all the work. Put simply, it’s your core that joins your legs together and gives you the stability to hold the weight of your body in the correct position, regardless of terrain and speed. It also really helps when getting up after the ‘rare event’ of falling over! A strong core and upper body enable you to push against the snow and roll yourself over into a position to get up from, especially hard if your skis are still attached to your feet! We have put a selection of videos on our website showing some of our ski class exercises to give you an idea. In the words of retired heart consultant, Mr Lewis, ‘I hate going to the gym, but I couldn’t believe how much these classes helped my skiing last year, so I’m back!’.
If you would like to join our class or have a taster session, please telephone the clinic to book a place. Whilst we can’t offer a Glühwein afterwards you are welcome to stay for a coffee. Above all, we hope you have a fab skiing holiday and let’s hope the snow conditions remain this good for the rest of the season.