subject: Ask our experts your Extreme Sports related questions here... [print this page] Ask our experts your Extreme Sports related questions here...
There are benefits to these choices and obviously anything you do to improve your aerobic strength and to stay in shape will help you when you're on the slopes or hitting the cross-country terrain. Even walking every day is better than not getting exercise at all! But the specific benefits you get from a true ski fitness course cannot be matched or dismissed.
Consider a few quick pointers on how a ski fitness course gets you into shape to hit those punishing, challenging slopes and what you should look for in such a course.
1. What to do, how to do it?
One problem that many face when they're trying to get the legs of steel they need for ski season is that they have no idea what to do and how to do it. Is jogging enough? What about weight lifting? How about routines like Pilates and yoga; do they have benefit and if so, how much?
By following a course that is specifically designed for skiing will mean eliminating the guesswork. You don't need to figure out for yourself what to do and how to do it, and don't need to worry about how much to do and how often. You know you'll see benefit to your training once ski season is finally upon you and know you will not have wasted your time on exercises that have little benefit.
2. Is it beneficial for skiing?
The idea of not wasting your time on pointless exercises that don't help you when you're ready to hit the slopes brings us to the next important issue regarding a ski fitness course - are the exercises you're doing actually beneficial as far as skiing is concerned?
A good ski fitness course will be sure to address the muscles used for skiing as well as concerns such as balance and aerobic strength. It's not enough to simply have toned and strong muscles when you're tearing down the slopes; without good balance and without aerobic strength, you won't be able to direct and control yourself and will need to quit far too soon.
On the other hand, those leg muscles need to be steely and strong in order to push you along on the slopes or the cross-country terrain. Doing simple aerobic activities that don't push your leg muscles to the next level will mean not having the strength you need to tear through the powder.
So following a good ski fitness course will mean doing the right exercises that are most effective for skiing itself. You won't waste time on elements that don't really help you when you're on the slopes, and you'll be sure to cover all areas of fitness that designed specifically for skiing and nothing else!
