Follow our regime and you'll be able to ski all day and party all night!
Off to the pistes? Getting ski fit* will minimise any aching muscles from hours spent skiing or snowboarding every day – leaving you with plenty of energy for the après-ski in the evening!
If you don’t follow a fitness regime already, build up your cardiovascular fitness by walking briskly, jogging, cycling, skipping or swimming a few times a week from about two months before your holiday.
To make your body ski fit and able to stay on the pistes all day, you need to work on your thigh muscles (quadriceps), buttocks and calves. Squats and lunges are good for this.
For squats, stand up straight with your feet about a shoulder-width apart. Then slowly bend your knees and squat down as if you were about to sit down in a chair, sticking out your rear. Then straighten up. Repeat, aiming for 20 or so squats and increase the number as you get stronger.
To do lunges, stand with your feet a shoulder-width apart, then take a long step forward with your right foot, bending at the knee so that your knee is over your right ankle (not over the toes) and bending your left knee so that it almost reaches the floor, then return to the starting position and repeat with the other leg. Do 25 lunges initially on each leg then increase.
If you belong to a gym you can also use the resistance machines to build up strength. Try the leg press for the thighs, and hamstring curls, which work the muscles at the back of the leg and help to protect the knee.
Your core muscles – stomach and back – are also important for being ski fit so don’t omit the sit-ups.
Finish each work-out by stretching out the muscles.
*Always check with your GP before starting a new fitness routine.