Teaching ski and snowboard is physically demanding. With winter just around the corner, it’s time to get back to skiing fitness. In a series of four articles, we’ll help you get a fit start to the season. This way, you’ll be fit to teach your first lesson and have the energy to blast through the powder all day long during those first few drops—”no breaks on powder days!” This first article covers the basics. Muscle strength alone isn’t enough. You need good fitness to give your lessons full of energy all day long.
If you have a sedentary job, that doesn’t mean you have to sit while commuting. Take the bike instead of the car, the stairs instead of the elevator, and walk instead of hopping on the bus or tram. These are just a few examples of how you can work on your basic fitness without having to go to the gym. Get your body used to being active all day long.
Take the bike
. Ideally, grab your road bike or mountain bike and pedal away for a few hours twice a week. Cycling is excellent fitness preparation for skiing. Grab your mountain bike, find a few hills nearby, and you’ve got a fantastic workout. Many top skiers enjoy cycling in the summer to maintain their fitness. For example, Ted Ligety occasionally posts a snapshot of his new road bike during the summer, and the Austrian women’s national ski team tackles the beautiful mountain passes during their fitness camp in Mallorca.
Running.
Unfortunately, not everyone has a nice bike like Ted Ligety’s in the shed or the budget to fly to Mallorca for a week to train. Fortunately, running offers the solution. You don’t have to run for miles straight away, but build up gradually. A bit of walking, a bit of running, a bit of walking, and a bit of running. Start with short distances and gradually build up. If you run two to three times a week, you’ll soon notice your progress skyrocketing. With apps like Strava and Endomundo , tracking your results will become addictive in no time!
These tips will get you started in the coming weeks. We’ll be sharing more helpful tips soon to get you fit for the season. So keep an eye on our website.
What are you doing to start the winter season fit?