By Marina Aagaard, MFE
Skiing and skiing holidays – as well as every day and leisure time activities –
are much more fun, when you have strength and stamina and don’t get tired or sore. Get fit by doing basic training for skiing, ski fitness.
Traditional basic training and fitness, e.g. running, cycling and leg press, primarily involves backward-forward movement in the sagittal plane, while many sports movements including skiing involves lateral, frontal plane movement.
Include lateral movement training, frontal plane training, a.o. slide training and gliding, in your fitness program, then you will have a more all-round training and be better prepared for e.g. skiing.
At the same time you work your core muscles and become more stable, so you reduce the risk of back ache and knee injury.
Here is a video, 1:01 minute, with examples of lateral movement training with three different pieces of equipment: Fitter, slideboard and Flowin. It looks easy, but you work against resistance, so it is a great workout for your muscles and cardiovascular system.
You will work up a sweat! Try one or more of these pieces of fitness equipment in your (ski) training program.
Contract your muscles well to control the movement: Feet and knees must be aligned to avoid inappropriate stress to the knees.
Start with only 5-10 minutes and progress gradually, so you build strength-endurance and improve the technique without hurting the knees during the lateral movements.
Progress to 20-30 minutes over time (weeks/month depending on form and fitness level).
Enjoy!
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