Fit for the Slopes – an experts opinion!

31 Oct Fit for the Slopes – an experts opinion!

The winter isn’t far away and to really get the most out of your ski or boarding holiday you should turn up fit and ready to take on the slopes. Skiing isn’t “just a holiday” you need to be in a relatively good state of fitness to help avoid injury, stay fit for the whole duration of your holiday, help to push yourself that little bit further and really improve or explore areas you would never usually explore. All this, and also bare in mind you will be indulging in some pretty fancy mountain food like Tyroler Grostl or Tartiflette (delicious carb overload for the mountain!) and some fun apres ski beers and mulled wines!

Marcus Nilsson, a good friend of Kaluma after spending several seasons in the Alps knows all about the fitness industry and is now a high profile Fitness Trainer at Equinox (www.equinox.com) in Kensington, London, training the stars! He also writes for Tatler magazine and suggests this circuit for the perfect build up to the winter season and your ski holiday…hopefully with Kaluma Travel!

Format: Circuit
Sets – 4 rounds
Repetitions – 15 (could be each side for certain exercises)
Rest Intervals – 60 seconds

Lateral Lunges – (stand shoulder width apart with feet, take a big step out to the side with one leg and come deep down by bending the moving knee. Push up from the deep position with the heel, back to starting position)

Single leg bridges – (lay on your back, bend both your knees to 90 degreees and lift one leg off floor. Place your arms out to the side now lift your hip up by pressing from the foot that still is on the floor and squeeze your glutes until you reach your highest point. Slowly lower the hip back to the floor and repeat)

Slow bodyweight squats to 90 degrees – (stand shoulder width apart with feet, slowly squat down from uprise position to 90 degrees in 5 seconds down. Slowly come up from 90 degrees to uprise position in 5 seconds)

Side Plank with internal external rotation – (lay on your side, propped up and balancing on bent one arm. Raise the other arm into the air. Gradually move round passing the arm through the gap between your chest and other arm and tap the floor. Bring your arm back to starting position, repeat 15 times on each side)

Lateral jumps from side to side – X 45 sec (stand feet almost together and a slight bend in your knee. Now jump from one side to the other and land with both feet as far away you can. Jump straight back to start position and repeat for 45 sec)

All of the above exercises can be done at home or in the gym. To challenge different fitness levels, you can use equipment normally found at a fitness center such as ViPR tubing, dumbells or Barbells.

For further information or a personal introduction to Marcus Nillson, please contact us at the Kaluma Office.