Skiing, Snowboarding & Snowshoeing
Skiing and snowboarding take advantage of gravity for a thrilling ride down snowy mountain slopes. Most participants spend an entire day taking the lift to the top of the mountain, but some opt to use specialized equipment to hike up where a lift does not exist. The skills and leg strength necessary for the downhill versions of these sports takes years of practice to develop, along with the innate feel for sliding along snow that can only be acquired through direct experience. Both sports rely heavily on balance and a stable core to use as a platform for performing turns and absorbing bumps.
Your trainer will teach you and have you experience the benefits of spending time increasing leg strength in the off season using sport specific exercises, particularly several lunge variations when training for downhill skiing and snowboarding. Snowboarders will be guide through a series of similar leg strength exercises in a motion that mimics the position on the board. Once a strength baseline is established, programs for both sports will progress to power endurance exercises to prepare for the repeated turns performed while coming down the hill. Core strength exercises
are without a doubt an essential element to develop for these sports, as is balance. For adequate conditioning, training aids such as balance boards and stability balls will be integrated in your program to help you improve your balance, core strength, leg strength, or all three simultaneously using creative movement patterns. Hip, knee, and ankle flexibility is required to maintain the skiing/snowboarding position, and the flexibility portion of the training program will focus on these areas.
Cross country skiing is usually performed in gently undulating winter terrain on groomed trails, whereas backcountry enthusiasts leave the trails in search of untouched powder to climb up and ski down. Cross country skiing has similar skill, balance, and core strength demands as downhill skiing, but a significantly greater aerobic demand – it is considered to be the most demanding sport on the aerobic system.
Snowshoeing often takes place on the trails in cross country skiing areas, but most adventurous participants of that sport usually make their own path to explore outside of groomed trails. Excursions away from the trail can result in a considerable elevation in aerobic intensity, similar to interval training, and can be an excellent addition to a training program. In either beginning or more advanced adventures, great cardiovascular endurance and lower body strength are a necessity. Snowshoeing is a sport that requires much less skill, making it an accessible sport
for beginners looking for a great winter cardiovascular activity. However, sound training is of prime importance to allow you to fully enjoy your adventures.
