Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Health and Fitness

Snow is falling: These 7 workouts will get you ready for skiing and snowboarding in no time

Toning up will prevent injuries. Trust us, we know

Veronica Sparks
By
A man skis on a clear run, with mountains and trees behind him.
Glade Optics / Unsplash

As winter approaches and the snow starts to fall, skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts eagerly await the chance to hit the slopes. But before you strap on your skis or snowboard, you’ve got to prepare your body for the physical demands of these exhilarating winter sports. Don’t worry! We’ll guide you through a comprehensive eight-week exercise plan with ski workouts designed to get you in peak condition for skiing and snowboarding.

Hip stretch lunge
Peggy_Marco / Pixabay

Fitness goals of ski training

Skiing and snowboarding require a unique set of physical attributes, including strength, balance, and endurance. To ensure you have a safe and enjoyable experience on the mountain, let’s delve into each of these fitness goals.

Recommended Videos

Increasing strength

Skiing and snowboarding rely heavily on leg and core strength. Building strength in these areas will help you maintain control and stability while navigating the slopes. That’s why you need to incorporate exercises into your routine to target these muscle groups effectively.

Related

Improving balance

Balance is a key component of these popular winter sports, as you’ll constantly need to adjust your position to stay upright on varying terrains. Poor balance can result in more falls, possible injuries, and a pretty unpleasant time on the slopes. Balance-focused exercises will help you develop the stability required for success and safety before you head to the ski lifts.

Building endurance

A day on the slopes is not for the faint of heart. Endurance is crucial for enjoying a full weekend (or even a full day) of skiing or snowboarding without getting fatigued or feeling muscle weakness too quickly. There are excellent workouts that work well at enhancing your cardiovascular endurance, ensuring you have the stamina to make the most of your time on the mountain.

Determined male athlete performing plank position in forest.
Maskot / Adobe Stock

7 snowboard and ski workouts to meet your fitness goals

Now that you understand the essential fitness goals for skiing and snowboarding, you’re probably wondering which exercises can help you meet those goals. Let’s dive into the specific workouts that will help you get your body to where it needs to be for skiing and snowboarding season.

1. Lunges

An excellent exercise for strengthening your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, lunges are tried and true. To perform a lunge correctly, follow these steps:

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Take a step forward with your right foot, keeping your back straight.
  3. Bend both knees to create two 90-degree angles.
  4. Push through your right heel to return to the starting position.
  5. Repeat with your left leg.

2. Squats

This is another traditional exercise for the leg muscles, and you may already know that squats target your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes. What you may not already know is that they also engaging your core, which is great for increasing your stability. Here’s how to perform a proper squat for the best results:

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Lower your body by bending your knees and hips.
  3. Keep your back straight and chest up.
  4. Push through your heels to return to a standing position.

3. Planks

If you’ve ever heard of the Plank Challenge, you know what we’re talking about. Planks are a versatile core-strengthening exercise that also engages your shoulders, back, and glutes. The beauty of the plank is that it naturally conforms to each person’s physical ability, since all you have to do is hold it for as long as you can. To do a plank:

  1. Start in a pushup position with your forearms on the ground.
  2. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels.
  3. Hold this position for as long as you can, focusing on maintaining good form.

4. Russian twists

Russian twists target your obliques and improve rotational stability. This is great for getting your body ready for the quick athletic moves you’ll have to make up there on the mountain. To do a Russian twist, follow these steps:

  1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet off the ground.
  2. Lean back slightly and balance on your sit bones.
  3. Hold a weight or a household item with both hands.
  4. Rotate your torso to the right and touch the weight to the floor beside you.
  5. Return to the center and repeat on the left side.

5. Burpees

A full-body exercise that improves both cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength, burpees are a fan favorite in the workout world. Here’s how to perform a burpee:

  1. Start in a standing position.
  2. Drop into a squat position and place your hands on the ground.
  3. Kick your feet back into a plank position.
  4. Perform a pushup.
  5. Quickly return your feet to the squat position.
  6. Explode upward into a jump.

6. Box jumps

Box jumps are an excellent way to build explosive power and leg strength, which are both vital for successful and safe skiing and snowboarding. Follow these steps:

  1. Stand in front of a sturdy box or platform.
  2. Jump onto the box, landing with both feet.
  3. Stand up straight on the box before stepping back down.

7. Lateral ski jumps

Mimicking the side-to-side movements of skiing, lateral ski jumps and are the perfect ski workouts for improving agility and balance. Here’s how to do them:

  1. Stand with your feet together.
  2. Jump to the right, landing on your right foot.
  3. Immediately jump to the left, landing on your left foot.
  4. Continue this side-to-side movement, maintaining your balance.

Preparing your body for skiing and snowboarding is essential for a safe and enjoyable winter sports season. That’s why you should incorporate these eight weeks of ski workouts into your exercise routine to build strength, balance, and endurance. By doing so, you’ll be ready to conquer the slopes with confidence, skill, and ease.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Veronica Sparks
Veronica Sparks
Contributor
Veronica Sparks is a writer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who loves writing about gardening, home décor, and DIY life. She’s…
The best boxing workout to help you train like a fighter
Create the ideal boxing routine with these workouts
Boxing gloves sitting on the floor of the boxing ring.

Professional boxers are some of the fittest athletes in the world, but you don't have to get in the ring to get in shape! Luckily, anyone can do heavy bag workouts, speed bag drills, and shadowboxing to get in amazing shape. Being consistent with a boxing workout schedule could potentially get you in the best shape of your life!

The best workouts for boxers, aside from boxing-specific drills, include exercises that improve your strength, agility, speed, endurance, and power. Boxing requires cardiovascular endurance and metabolic conditioning because it’s a high-intensity, anaerobic sport with aerobic demands as well, which is why cardio and conditioning exercises are an important component of boxing workouts. Moreover, while many people tend to think of boxing as solely an upper-body activity, the true power of a punch comes from your hips, core, and lower body, making boxing a total-body sport.
As such, strength training for boxing will require exercises that target all the major muscles in the body and that train your neuromuscular system to coordinate movements and muscle contractions to deliver more force and power. We know you probably love a good session on the heavy bag, but keep reading as we show you how to get in shape for boxing with the best strengthening and conditioning workouts to take your skills to the next level and help you harness your inner Muhammad Ali.

Read more
Pilates vs. yoga: Which is right for you?
Yoga vs. Pilates: You can do both, don't worry
man doing rolling like a ball

Studio fitness classes are a great way to combine working out and socializing. Exercising can be more fun when you're powering through one last rep of burpees with your new friends. Not all fitness classes need to be high-intensity, though. Yoga and Pilates are two popular low-impact options . Besides being low-impact, both are lauded for improving posture, balance, and mobility. However, there are some key differences between the two disciplines. Knowing these distinctions can help you decide whether one or the other is the clear choice for you.

Yoga vs. Pilates: The basics
Before we deliver a verdict on the "yoga vs. Pilates" debate, let's dig into what each exercise is about.
What is yoga?
Yoga has been around for centuries and likely originated in India. The ancient practice combines breath, meditation, and movement to connect the mind, body, and spirit. During a practice, people will pair poses with breath to move their bodies and center their minds.

Read more
6 effective resistance band workouts to tone your triceps
Get tone, not bulky
Man using a teal resistance band outside

Resistance training challenges you physically and mentally, helping you build strength and tone. Dumbbells and barbells are often preferred, though bodyweight exercises like planks and pushups are also popular. Resistance bands may not look like much. However, the fitness version of rubber bands is a worthy addition to your workout toolbox. The versatile bands are thin enough to fit even in a smaller home. However, even sprawling fitness studios and gyms often have resistance bands on hand.

There’s good reason — one 2019 study showed resistance bands were about as effective as standard gym equipment for building strength. Bands offer other benefits, too. You can control the resistance in a workout based on where you hold the band. The lightweight nature makes resistance bands ideal for people cleared to resume working out post-injury.

Read more