Winter Sports – Part 2
The combination of fresh snow, a clear sky, gorgeous scenery, fresh air and a day of exploring the slopes always fills us with joy and excitement. Skiing is an activity which can be enjoyed solo, with friends and with your family and can be taken as competitively or recreationally as you like. But, like most winter sports, it requires some preparation in order to prevent injury and perform at your best.
Most ski-resorts will have a variety of slopes and cross-country trails to cater for different skill levels and many run lessons and groups for those who are new to the sport or perhaps in need of a refresher course. It’s also possible to rent any equipment you may need if you want to try before you buy.
Skiing is a physically demanding sport, regardless of what it may look like to an observer and is not just a matter of ‘sliding downhill’. Skiing uses many different muscle groups and requires stamina, coordination and flexibility to stay in control. There is nothing worse than having to stop your ski day or holiday early because of aches and pains.
Some ways we should prepare for skiing are:
- Yoga is wonderful for flexibility and mobility. This is a great 20 minute session aimed at skiers and their needs specifically Yoga For Skiers | 20 Minute Pre-Ski Carving Mobility
- Walking, jogging, swimming and cycling are all ideal sports for building up the muscles and creating cardio endurance to cope with the aerobic fitness needed for a day on the slopes. Plus it is great for your heart health in general.
- Exercises to target and strengthen the muscles around the thighs, hamstrings, knees and hips are ideal to help protect these areas from injury or strain.
- Check out this video for beginners SKI FIT IN 15 MINUTES // BEGINNER WORKOUT #1 | Dry land training for skiing
- This video is great for the more advanced skier SKI FIT IN 15 MINUTES // ADVANCED WORKOUT #1 | Training for Skiing
- And for those of you who love nordic skiing, check out these specific exercises but be sure to read the subtitles for the translation.
- Warm up properly before starting your day on the slopes and trails. Gently raise your heart rate and active stretches are the best way to begin.
- One of the benefits of P3 pain relief cream is that it is topical and can be effortlessly applied directly to and around joints and muscle areas. It is easily absorbed by the skin and so is perfect to apply before and during a full day of sports, providing active pain relief to aching muscles and sore joints. Its natural ingredients mean it can be used by competitive athletes and social skiers alike. Plus, arthritis sufferers can apply the soothing cream as many times a day as they need, allowing them to continue to do the sports they love. Pop a travel size tube or spray in your bag for pain-relief at your finger tips.
- A great breakfast to eat before you hit the slopes is one full of protein, healthy fats and low GI carbohydrates for a boost of energy that will last longer; a bowl of porridge with a handful of blueberries, crushed almonds and some maple syrup or a smoothie with added peanut butter are a good start to your day.
- After a day on the slopes, relax in a hot tub, gently stretch aching muscles and reapply our topical pain-relieving cream to any areas that need some extra attention. Then enjoy a hot chocolate or some apres ski – you’ll have earnt it!
A great resource for the best downhill ski-resorts in Canada is https://www.snowpak.ca/canada/best-ski-resorts
and try this site https://www.snow-online.com/largest_cross-country-skiing-areas/british-columbia for cross country skiing trails.
Most of all we want everyone to go and have fun. A colleague of mine once challenged his family to a fancy dress day on the slopes. His favourite memory was bombing down the slopes dressed as a penguin next to his daughter dressed as a hot-dog and his son-in-law as a Christmas tree!
We love hearing from you, so please let us know some of the best stories from your adventures on the slopes in the comments section below.
Best wishes
