Are you thinking about opting for skiing in your next holiday season? You better start preparing yourself right away! Skiing takes a lot of energy, discipline, and patience. In addition, your body must be strong and agile to maneuver the skis at high speed down the powdery slope.
Furthermore, you will need a good stamina level for the winter sport. Finally, skiing requires plenty of mental energy and concentration. Therefore, it would help if you practiced skiing before physically going to the mountains to shred some skis. So, how to practice skiing at home?
You can prepare your body and mind for your skiing trip in many ways. First, your body will need exercise to get in shape, increase stamina, learn discipline, and enhance your mental health. Furthermore, before the day, you must prepare your skiing gear to comfortably slide down the snowy peak.
You might not be able to recreate or stimulate a skiing atmosphere at home, but you can start getting your body ready for the exciting sport. You can get a VR and virtually ski to pass your time. However, you will need more time to prepare your body for the harsh circumstances of the mountain terrains.
Related: How Many Calories Does Skiing Burn?
Read on to learn more about how to practice skiing at home.
Start With A New Workout Routine
You must adopt a carefully thought-out workout routine to help you increase your body’s core, strength, endurance, power, etc. There are plenty of exercises that you can opt for to make your body better for the skiing season. Here are a few:
Deadlifting
Deadlifting benefits your body more than strengthening your legs and back. Skiing requires a strong heart, as you will need the stamina to achieve long ski days. Deadlifting is a very healthy exercise for your heart and increases your endurance. It also helps improve your core, helps you lose excess weight, and enhances your cardio.
Here is how you can do deadlifting at home:
- Keep your feet a little wider than your hips
- Microbend your knees to protect your hamstring
- The dumbells in your hands and bring them down slowly
- While bending, your fingers should graze your body
- Keep your face and shoulders straight as you turn your back
- Keep the arch of your back straight while doing so
- Bend enough so that your fingers reach the middle of your shin
- Once your reach the shin, come back up slowly and stand for a few seconds while squeezing your glutes
The key is to keep your back straight as much as possible. Only bend in a bow. Do the deadlifts slowly to prevent any muscle damage in your back.
Box Jumps
People usually think box jumps are less tiring and have less effect on your body, especially the legs. That is far from the truth. A box jump is a tiring exercise that is a great way to enhance your cardio for skiing.
If you do box jumps, it will help you float and jump in your skis on the mountain. Here is how to do it:
- Keep your feet shoulder-width apart
- Your back, shoulders, and abs should be straight
- Bend down in a sitting position and keep your elbows straight for a boost
- As you jump on the box, bring your hands up to your face while bending your elbows
- The bent elbows give you a boost for the jump
- It would be best if you landed on the box in the same position you started
Maintain your posture when you land on the box, and keep your knees straight. If you have difficulty jumping, walk first and learn the positioning. Keep it slow to prevent any injuries. You can choose the box’s height compared to your fitness level.
Wall Sits
When you are skiing, you do not stand straight. The tuck or bent posture helps you gain speed while going down a hill. If you are out of practice on your ski day, you will have difficulty controlling your ski movements. In addition, your body will be extra sore, and the chances of injuries will increase.
Adding wall sits in your skiing workout is best to get your body used to the skiing posture. It helps strengthen your back and legs while boosting your core.
Here is how to do wall sits:
- Spread your feet shoulder-length apart with your knees straight
- Rest against a wall and go into a squat position
- Put your weight on your heels while doing the squat
- Keep the sitting position intact for 30 seconds to a minute
- Stand up and repeat
Take it slow and feel the burn in your thighs as you do this exercise. You can increase your time or number of sets according to your fitness level.
Squat Jumps
Skiing requires floating and jumping, as there will be bumps and moguls in the terrain. You will need a strong core and sturdy muscles to jump at high speed in skiing.
Ensuring your body’s health will help you have a good time in the snow. Squat jumps can help you gain the strength you need to shred that powdery snow while enhancing your lower body strength.
- Bring your feet shoulder length apart.
- Go into a squat position
- Do an explosive jump and raise your arms high
- Repeat this as many times as you need
This workout also helps with your shoulder and arm strength. In addition, you can judge the number of sets according to your fitness level.
Eat A Protein-Rich Diet
Skiing requires strong muscles. Increasing your muscle strength will require you to eat a lot of proteins. Luckily, there are plenty of options that you can enjoy while preparing your body for the harshness of skiing sport. Here is a list of things you can eat to gain protein for your muscles:
- Fish
- Poultry
- Beans
- Nuts
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Lentils
The above list contains options for vegan skiers too. So, choose your food and provide your muscles with the fuel they need.
Practice Balancing
Skiing is all about balancing and trusting yourself. Going at high speed and making sharp turns, you will need excellent balance to stay upright on your precious skis. You can choose any fun sport like rollerskating, surfing, skateboarding, or dancing.
These will help you be aware of your balance abilities and help you trust yourself in the snow.
Prepare Your Skiing Gear
It is best to take good care of your skiing gear so you do not have to buy new ones every time you decide to ski. If you have ski equipment, then you must do the following to ensure they are ready to use when you go on your ski trip:
Store Them Well
Storing your ski gear in a basement or garage is a neater option but a risky one. As you will not be able to keep an eye on your ski gear, you will not be able to observe the damage before it gets too late.
Instead, store your ski equipment in a place you visit frequently and where there is moisture control. It will prevent your ski gear from deteriorating quickly.
Tuning
Check your ski equipment well before your trip dates. There might be a need for your gear to get some fixes and tuning. Check your boots, liners, skis, helmet, etc., for any repairs. You can check your equipment in a shop for sharpening edges or grinding the base.
Buy Necessary Equipment
There may be times when you need new things. Check your skiing equipment before time so you can visit shops and see your options. Always try ski equipment before buying them to get the best fit and comfortable gear for your skiing adventures.
Final Word
Practicing skiing does not necessarily mean skiing techniques. It would be best if you did plenty of things before you ski, which are more important than skiing.
Increase your bodily strength, enhance your stamina, boost your endurance, and prepare your gear. Once you achieve all these things, you will have a stress-free and fun skiing trip.
