MAKING THE MOST OF IT
GUEST BLOG FROM STEVE AT FRESH CHALETS
As the snow falls and the start of the season is as good as it has been for many a year I am thinking of how you can make the most of your holiday when you do get out here.
Skiing & snowboarding are open environment sports… the conditions that make up that environment in which we perform are never the same there are too many things out of our control so there is no perfect blend to produce that perfect run.
Instead what we need to do make the most of every single opportunity to make us as good as possible to try and make that perfect run possible.
Of course it would be even better if we could keep in practice all year round by skiing or boarding in the summer on glaciers in Europe or heading to the southern hemisphere, more realistically practicing at an indoor facility or a dry ski slope is a possibility.
There are fewer reasons these days as to why the season should be considered just that - a single (or two at most) season of the year to participate in our sport!
So what can we do?
There are the obvious things you can do between now and when your ski holiday is such as stretching and keeping (or getting!) fit but also practice keeping your balance. Try standing on one leg and flexing right down and back up again without losing balance!
Don’t think you can only practice whilst actually sliding down the slopes. World Cup athletes probably spend more time in the gym than sliding down the mountain!
In fact many sports are true like this a tennis player, for example, doesn’t just play matches he / she spends hours working on improving reaction times for returning their opponents serve.
Here’s a list of simple ‘helpers’ to get you ready to maximise the season ahead:
Cycling is a great exercise – where safe try cycling without your hands on the handlebars but keep pedaling… your dynamic balance will get a work out as well as your aerobic fitness.
When you’re watching tv ‘sit’ but without a seat under your legs / bottom, so back straight against a wall and legs bent with 90 behind the knee… how long can you hold it for (truthfully) - a minute is a great initial target.
Head into your garden or park and attach a rope between two objects (trees / fence post or something ‘fixed, stable & strong’) and try walking from one end to the other. The rope only needs to be a few cm’s above the ground. Set yourself targets as to how far you reach - the further the better. Balance, co-ordination and core will all be developed.
Get a pedal only ‘desk cycle’ and work those leg muscles out - you might look a little silly doing this but try this at work but you'll be laughing last when you have the best ski holiday of your life by being fit for it!
Whatever you do don’t fall into the habit of thinking that you can only improve your performance whilst actually on the slopes.
Then when you do get to the mountains don’t think that you can only get better by practicing the same things on the slopes over and over again… you have to put effort in to get performance back out.
Take a lesson, pick up some points to practice and then go and practice it!
STEVE runs FRESH CHALETS based in Val d'Isere
A small family run operation in Val d’Isere who believe that a high quality, flexible chalet holiday need not cost the earth, especially without sacrificing service.
Check out the chalet here.