If you think all you need to
prepare for downhill skiing is a spectacular outfit that
blocks the cold, experts say you're missing the fitness
value of winter's most popular sport.
"For best performance, you want to tone up your fitness
level at the gym and take instructions to ski on the slopes
-- it isn't an either-or deal," says Reggie O'Bryant, a
personal trainer at Franklin Athletic Club.
The price of jumping unprepared onto the slopes is sore
joints, reduced time on the slopes or, worse yet, an injury,
experts warn.
Why? Skiing requires muscles that aren't used on a daily
basis.
Strapping on 4-foot skis makes even ordinary walking a
daunting task. Add the body twists, arm balance and leg
action needed to glide smoothly downhill and it's easy to
see why muscles would benefit from gaining strength before
schussing down the slopes.
Condition them with sports such as racquetball, aerobics,
stair climbing and inline skating. Look for bending and
flexing exercises that move you in six directions --
up-down, right-left and fore-aft.
"You never stop learning," O'Bryant says. "You go out on
the slopes and try something, find which muscles hurt, then
develop exercises to strengthen and tone these muscle
groups."
Many ski clubs, such as the
Jim Dandy in Detroit, offer fitness classes in October and
November to introduce new and sedentary members to methods
of working specific muscle groups for the winter season.
Some athletic trainers speak of "prehabilitation," a kind
of physical therapy for people who are prone to certain
injuries. By strengthening surrounding muscles before
hitting the slopes, you may do less injury to rotator cuffs
or anterior ligaments in the knee.
In preparation for skiing downhill, let's look at some
simple exercises you can do at home or in the gym to get in
shape.
Balancing act
Being smooth on the slopes starts with good body
alignment and balance, according to Gene Ebner, 70, of
Farmington Hills, who skis all over the world and teaches
beginner skiing.
To practice the kind of balance it takes to maneuver
turns, he begins with consciously brushing his teeth.
He brushes the upper teeth while on his left foot, the
lower teeth on his right foot. Some days, he places the
raised foot in a yogic tree pose -- knee extended away from
the body, foot flat against his thigh, or foot suspended,
ankles firm.
"If you wobble while you balance on one foot, you'll be
fighting every turn you make on skis," Ebner says.
He also practices strengthening and conditioning
exercises three days a week at Franklin Athletic Club with
emphasis on leg muscles. O'Bryant, 27, his fitness trainer,
shows him new techniques.
O'Bryant suggested Ebner practice jumping from side to
side on the balls of his feet, strengthening his lateral
muscles. Once he masters this step, he hopscotches on one
foot and then the other, careful to tuck in his buttocks,
holding shoulder-tall and erect, yet retaining a looseness,
an agility in his upper body.
Ebner studied with Lito Tejada-Flores (www.breakthroughonskis.com)
who suggests balance is the key to moving up to expert ski
levels.
"At risk of oversimplifying a little, I'd say: tall and
relaxed," says Tejada-Flores on his Web page. He says skiing
involves a constant rebalancing, as the slope and speed
changes through the course of every turn.
Yoga, Pilates and workouts on the BOSU ball help improve
the fluidity and balance that eliminates jerky ski descents,
Ebner says.
Using the BOSU ball, which resembles half an exercise
ball, he jumps with both feet from floor to the ball,
retaining balance. With the flat side up, Ebner stands on
top, attempting to maintain balance while shifting from one
leg to the other, arms loosely extended.
O'Bryant recommends doing squats and leg extensions,
noting the BOSU builds body awareness, a critical advantage
for skiers who navigate an irregular terrain.
For back and leg conditioning, Ebner stands against a
wall, extending his legs as though seated in a chair. He's
seen progress over the weeks: His legs no longer burn and
his hamstrings, glutes and quads have adjusted.
"Balance helps lessen the pain," he says.
O'Bryant guides Ebner through a round of whole-body
exercises on the Cybex machines, doing sit-ups, squats, lat
pulls and lunges. "The art is working people with intensity,
but not so much that it hurts," O'Bryant says. "The goal is
achieving a peak level of performance."
Ebner, who lifts 25-pound disks while performing lunges,
says he's at the top of his game. "Reggie keeps me fit;
skiing keeps me feeling good," he says.
