FIT TO SKI

Essential Exercises To

Improve Fitness For Skiing

Neil Welch is a UKSCA accredited strength and conditioning coach working with the England Junior and British development ski teams. For more information visit www.nwconditioning.com

These exercises should be a part of wider fitness regime. Don’t attempt the exercises when injured, if the exercises feel too tiring reduce the number of repetitions. Speak to an expert if you need more information.

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- Raise your hips so that a straight line between your knees, hips and shoulders is formed - Maintain this form for a couple of seconds by bracing your trunk muscles and clenching your buttocks - Use slow controlled movements up and down

- As you raise opposite arm and leg work hard to keep your hips level while looking forward - By bracing your trunk you’ll have more control over the movement

Bulgarian split

- Keeping your upper body in an upright position, lift your leg onto a step behind you in a broad stride position- Find your balance and brace your trunk muscles - Slowly lower yourself ensuring your hips stay level and front knee stays over your second toe - Maintain your posture on the way up again working on knee alignment

Bridges

Bird dogs

To get the best performance out of your new equipment and make the most out of your time on the hill, a little bit of preparation can go a long way. The exercises shown will help to enhance the way you move enabling you to turn sharper, accelerate faster and flex harder, and will have you enjoying your holiday that bit more.

Exercise descriptions The photos below (Ambition Ski Racing skier Brad Morgan) should be a guide and if you try to combine those with the key points alongside, you’ll be improving in no time. Aim for 3 sets of 10 on each exercise, but try to focus on quality of the movements rather than speed and if you find them a little too easy check out ellis-brigham.com for some progressions.

- Keep your shoulders pinned back, push your chest out and brace your trunk muscles (like you would if you were about to be hit in the stomach) - Keeping a straight back, squat so your thighs pass parallel with the floor - Concentrate on keeping your knees in line with your second toe - Use slow controlled movements up and down

Squat

FIT TO SKI

Side lying leg raises

- Lift upper leg leading with your heel and keeping your toes pointed to your opposite knee - Hold for a couple of seconds at the top, control the movement on the way down

Split squat

- Keep your upper body vertical by keeping your shoulders pinned back, your chest out and trunk braced - Keep your hips level - Ensure your front knee stays over your second toe - Use slow controlled movements up and down

- You may need a wall to help balance but start up on both toes. - Shift your weight through the leg you’re going to lower and push your heel down while staying up on your other toe. - Push back up until you’re on both toes again and repeat with the other foot.

Calf pushes

Step squat

- As with the back squat keep your shoulders back, chest out and trunk braced- Slowly squat until your raised leg breaks parallel with the floor and push back up maintaining your posture- It should feel like your grounded leg is doing most of the work

- As with the bridges raise your hips so that a straight line between your knees, hips and shoulders is formed - You will have to work harder to keep your hips level as you slowly raise one leg off the floor forming part of the straight line - Slowly relax to the floor in between lifting each leg

Single leg bridges

Step up to toe raise

- Start on the toe of the rear foot with the front half of your front foot on the step - As you step up using your front foot, concentrate on keeping your hips level and your front knee over you second toe - Once up on the step, lift up onto your toe and slowly lower back to the floor