Training For The Olympics Or Any Skiing

Every four years there comes along a great display of athletic excellence; the Winter Olympics. Cheering for athletes and country bring a sense of patriotism that might be lacking at other times. The ability of these athletes is certainly nothing to scoff at, but sometimes they make it look too easy, leaving some to ask the question; can I do that?

Qualifying for the national Olympic team is certainly not easy. There is a lot of work that goes into being an Olympian. While most of us do not have the skills to compete in the Olympics, we can all train like Olympic athletes. Skiing has become a highly recognized sport in the Winter Olympics, and a fun recreational sport.

Training is a year round endeavor even though skiing is a winter sport. Finding a personal trainer or coach can be a great first step in climbing the mountain towards winter fitness. It is important for your trainer to know the intricacies of alpine sport and recognize that work needs to be an ongoing endeavor.

While equipment is necessary for skiing, it is important to know that good alpine skiing equipment will not make up for a lack of training. If you want to get better at skiing, or anything, you need to work hard at it and not assume that equipment will cover flaws and make up for shortcomings.

There are 5 steps to off season training. Step 1 is flexibility. For skiing, flexibility training should focus mainly on the hip flexors, hamstrings, and torso. A good trainer can help you, or if lack of motivation is a problem, a yoga class would be good.

The second step is coordination and balance. Coordination and balance is necessary if you want to spend most of your time on your feet and not on you bottom. Jump rope, one-legged dips, and running bleachers can be great exercises to increase balance and coordination.

The 3rd step is strength. The key spots to focus on are the legs and trunk, followed by some work on the upper body. Muscle growth will prevent injuries while increasing athleticism. Building strength also helps build control over the flexibility built before.

Step 4 is Speed. Skiing is very dependent on timing. If speed isn’t under control, your skis will take you for a ride instead of vice versa. Agility during lateral movement is key.

The fifth and final step is endurance. To increase endurance it is important to engage in cardiovascular exercise. Varying the intensity of aerobic work will help to achieve the best results.

Most of us know that we won’t be the next Bodey Miller or Picabo Street, but anyone can benefit from off season training. Conditioning prevents injury, increases athleticism, and improves technique.