Prepare For Skiing This Winter: Part Five

Harri Bennett, chalet host for Morgan Jupe and professional personal trainer, shares some of her top tips for preparing your body for skiing this winter …  

Stretches

Flexibility is one of the most important components of fitness, even more so when it comes to skiing and snowboarding. An enormous amount of force and impact is taken by the lower body when we ski so it is very important that our muscles are in good shape before the trip and that we warm up and cool down the body properly each day on the hill. Doing so will help to prevent injuries and lessen the oncoming DOMS you may feel the next day.

Before your trip it’s a good idea to incorporate some flexibility training into your workouts to ensure you don’t have overly tight muscles when you come to ski. We’re not talking Olympic gymnast training here, just 5-10 minutes a day will go a long way. See below for a full body stretch routine you should be doing at least after every workout session.

During your trip it’s important to warm up the body before skiing to ensure the body is ready for activity. This can be done by performing 5-10 minutes of dynamic stretches or just general warm up activities such as jogging on the spot, walking lunges or brisk walking. When the day is over, don’t forget to cool down properly by performing the stretch routine mentioned above. This will ensure we maintain our muscle flexibility and avoid any tightness from developing.

Stretch routine …

Low lunge

• A great stretch for hips. Lower one knee to the floor with the other at a 90 degree angle in front. Squeeze your glutes and think and about pushing your hip forward, keeping your back straight. Hold for at least 10 seconds.

Downward dog

• A core yoga movement, the downward dog is a great full body stretch which is particularly great for the calves. Place hands and feet on the floor and raise your glutes to the sky so that the body is in an upside down V position. press the heels into the floor and Feel the stretch deep into the calves.

Quads

• From standing position, bring one foot the the bum. Standing on one leg, keep the knees together and push the hips forward. Feel the stretch in the front of the thigh.

Spinal side stretch

• Lying on your back with arms out flat on either side, bring both knees to one side of the body and turn your head to the other. Repeat on other side.

Lying glute stretch

• Lying on your back, bring one knee towards the chest and hook the other ankle over the knee. Increase the stretch by bringing the knee closer to the body.

Toe touch

• From standing position, keep your legs straight and lower your hands towards the floor. Feel the stretch in your hamstrings in the back of your legs. Relax your back and feel a light stretch here too.

And that concludes our ski-fit series! Now all you need to do is keep up the hard work and get ready for your skiing holiday. If you haven’t booked yet, don’t panic, there’s still time! Email jess@morganjupe.co.uk for availability and prices.