Fitness exercises for skiing: Get fit to slide the slopes!

Going on a skiing holiday is a mentally refreshing experience, as you get to escape to a beautiful mountain range, for example skiing in the Pyrenees. That said, it is a more physical holiday than most and many people want to know how to get ski fit and what skiing fitness exercises they should be working on before arriving at the resort, whether they’re going to be taking skiing lessons there or not.

In the guide to fitness for skiing, we’ll discuss some of the most popular get fit to ski program options and some of the best skiing specific exercises, all of which you can work on before you pack your bags and set off.

Fitness for skiing: What components of fitness are needed in skiing?

Most skiing fitness experts will explain that there are five key components to fitness for skiing, namely balance, agility, flexibility, core strength and cardiovascular fitness. All five of these are required to ski down the Andorra ski slopes as easily and skilfully as possible, so all five should feature in any fitness training for skiing.

That said, the two most important components of skiing fitness are core strength and cardiovascular fitness, so this is what you should work on the most. This is because having strong core muscles will help to keep you upright and also help with balance as you descend, while it’s also, logically, important to have good cardiovascular fitness for skiing.

Ski training fitness: What exercises are good for skiing and what is the best ski training workout? 

In terms of how exactly to work on these key components for skiing fitness, you’ll want to know specific exercises and drills for how to get in shape for skiing and how to strengthen your body for skiing. With this in mind, we’ll outline below one getting fit for skiing exercise for each of the five fitness components that we outlined above, with most of these skiing specific exercises able to be done at home.

• Skiing fitness exercises for balance: One of the most fun skiing specific exercises that you can do at home is with a Bosu Ball, as you can practice your balance by standing one foot on each Bosu Ball and squatting on them.
• Skiing fitness exercises for agility: Shuttle runs are used by athletes in a variety of stop-start sports, which require you to turn a lot and use agility, so this is also a good drill for getting fit for skiing since this is another sport that requires excellent agility.
• Skiing fitness exercises for flexibility: You need to be flexible on the slopes, especially in your lower leg. One useful and simple exercise is a calf and plantar fascia stretch, which entails placing your toes up against a wall with your heel on the ground, and then you lean forward until you feel your calf being stretched and you repeat several times.
• Skiing fitness exercises for core strength: Given that planks are one of the best drills for improving core strength, this makes them also one of the best ski training exercises.
• Skiing fitness exercises for cardiovascular fitness: There are so many ways to improve cardiovascular fitness, but it’s advised that you don’t go running too much just before you go skiing, as it can be tough on the knees. Instead, intense walking up stairs is a better way to boost cardiovascular fitness for skiing.

Fitness training for skiing: How long does it take to get fit for skiing? Can I get fit for skiing in five weeks? 

Getting fit for skiing isn’t something that can just be done overnight. The ideal timeframe to get fit for skiing is to put together a 12-week ski training workout plan. It is possible to improve your skiing fitness somewhat if you have less time, but remember that a five-week or six-week get fit to ski program won’t be nearly as effective as three months of gradually getting fit for skiing.