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Alpine skiing for fitness

If you're planning to go Alpine Skiing this winter, it pays to prepare. Alpine Skiing is a demanding sport, and trying to do it without preparation will not only limit your enjoyment, but also dramatically increase your risk of injury.

So how do you get fit for Alpine Skiing? You'll need to work on a combination of cardio (for endurance) and strength training. For endurance workouts good choices include:

Running
Biking
Rowing
Stepper

If you don't currently work out, you'll want to build up to at least 20 minutes three times per week. If you already work out regularly, then you have the opportunity to increase your cardio sessions to improve your endurance.

Strength training should focus on your core muscles, and your legs. The core is crucial in order to hold yourself in the tucked position - without a strong core you won't be able to fully utilize the strength of your legs either.

There's loads of great leg exercises you can try, but the best would be:

Squats
Lunges
Calf-raises
Leg extensions
Hamstring curls

There's no need to go for maximum weights, work at about 70% of your max and aim to gradually increase the number of reps you can do.

This will strengthen your legs, and also improve your strength endurance, meaning that you will be able to ski linger without getting fatigued.