Get ready for skiing !

May 17, 2022

Good preparation before skiing is a guarantee of safety and pleasure

Prepare your skiing holidays like a pro means also having to apply the interseason code ! The returns of the first snowflakes are being felt and to have an olympic energy on your skis and avoid the boo-boos, read the tips & tricks of David, sports coach, and get ready to ride safely !

David Le Clanche

Fitness coach at the olympic park since 8 years

« Actually there are a lot of people that get back on the slopes without any preparation. Nevertheless this is a sporting activity that you have to prepare as another one. »« To do this, you have to be physically safe. Either by doing outdoor sports such as jogging, cycling etc. or by training at the gym where there is more specific work to be done at a muscular level. To me, this preparation is an obligation. »

Cardio & Balance

For skiing, balance is a priority. I would go even further telling balance follows us throughout our life, the older we get, the more we tend to lose this balance. That is why there is a necessity to preserve it with exercises of stability that we can perform at the gym.

Skiing remains a kind of “violent” effort when the body and the heart are not used to the effort, and we do not necessarily realise it. Working on your cardio allows you to ski longer and enjoy it more.

Often we compare ski to bicycle because you do not forget how to ski when you get back to it. However the difference is that you have to train before skiing. It is a very physical sport, at the joints for example. Preparation helps to limit injuries.

Sports / Recommended movements

Every cardio-vascular activity is recommended! Jogging, cycling, swimming and even walking are all very good activities.

With regard to muscle building, there are specific movements that allow some muscles to work, such as those in the thighs, as well as the abdominal strap for a better stability, or the arms to prevent possible falls.

Physical planning

Obviously, the more we train in advance, the better we are prepared! The anticipation allows you to be better prepared and the ideal is to start 2 or 3 months in advance.

What is crucial is regularity. Start with one session per week to gradually get used to it. After a few weeks you will feel a certain well-being and from there you can increase the sessions step by step.

The priority is really the notion of progressiveness.

Tips ++

When we ski we have a huge water loss. Added to this is the fact of being in a place where hygrometry is low, so hydrating is fundamental.

Having a good diet is also important.

Another aspect most people forget and that is invaluable to me, are stretches. I notice this by talking with the ski instructors, they do not necessarily integrate stretches to their lessons because it takes time. Nevertheless I think that it comes within a framework of well-being and good preparation for the activity that is skiing. The best is to stretch 1h after your day of skiing during 5 to 10 minutes.

You can already start preparing for the winter season at the olympic park at the fitness center, open from monday to friday !

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