For many of our clients, skiing is a favorite wintertime hobby.  By implementing a few basic exercises into your workout routine, you’ll feel stronger, fatigue more slowly, ski better and enjoy your day even more.  There are entire books on this topic, but these will help get you started in the right direction.  Note – none of these should cause any “pain” (which is different from muscle fatigue):

• Wall Sits:  sit with your back straight against the wall and no chair, supporting yourself with (primarily) your thigh muscles.  Hold until fatigued and repeat after a brief rest interval.  Note that muscles are very specific in their training (approximately 5 degree overlap on angle of knee), so to maximize outcomes, you’ll want to do this at several different angles of knee extension.
• Single leg mini-squat:  while standing on one leg (and not touching anything with your hands – this also works on balance), bend your knee so it stays in a straight plane over your first or second toe.  Go to comfortable distance and then repeat to fatigue.
• Sumo walk:  take on the position of a sumo wrestler, with knees bent, butt straight down and arms out in front.  Then walk forward, backward and sideways while sustaining this position.  Continue to fatigue and repeat.

Core strengthening is extremely valuable to any sport – and skiing is no exception.  Here are a few core exercises to utilize:

• Planks:  lay on floor with all of body weight supported by your elbows/forearms up top and your toes down low.  Hold this to fatigue
• Side Planks:  same concept, but working the lateral portion of your abdominal musculature.  Turning to one side, weight will be held on the down elbow and foot and held to fatigue.  Repeat on opposite side.
• Plank hops:  in the original plank position, “hop” your feet out and in, like a prone jumping jack (without moving arms in this case)