No, no, I am not writing this article from experience and because I am trying to warn you of a mistake that I made, but now that skiing season is almost over, I have been in the mindset of wanting to improve myself as a skier before next season even starts. I know what you are thinking, it’s almost April, but I figure that I at least can think about training for next season even if I don’t actually start getting around to it until later on. At least step one will be done!

Strength, flexibility, endurance and agility drills for skiers are essential for both recreational and expert skiers. These drills are important to improve upon in order to have technical and physical skills, such as strength, endurance, agility and balance. You do not have to ski and keep skiing in order to become a stronger and more rounded skiing; there is plenty of work that can be done in the off season. Two aspects of off-season training to be aware of are muscle strength and endurance.

Muscular strength is one of the more important skills, as it improves your ability to relax and still maintain control, while being able to make quick adjustments that are needed on the slopes. Without any muscles, there is no way I could maneuver myself around moguls or trees. If my muscles weren’t in shape I definitely would lose control, fall, or have to take a break after every couple of moguls! To become more muscular, the best exercises for a skier are ones, such as leg squats, that will help strengthen the quadriceps. A second strength exercise is a weighted quadriceps squat.

Doing 30+ minutes of endurance training definitely will make you a stronger skier. Cardiovascular endurance exercises, such as running, swimming, and more, are all great forms of endurance training, but one of the better exercises is biking.  Whether it is stationary, road, or mountain, biking will strengthen the heart and lungs and focuses on the leg muscles used during skiing.

There is a lot to be done before next ski season, so I better start soon!