
This blog follows on from Part 1 of the SnowFit blog, which was published last week and aims to identify some of the key factors that must be considered when planning a specific strength and conditioning programme for skiing and snowboarding.
Winter terrain
Few sports share the unpredictable nature of the winter terrain that skiers and snowboarders are exposed to on the slopes. The term ‘unpredictable’ is used loosely. Whilst we expect the snow to be slippery and somewhat unstable, when you look down at a run from higher ground, it’s difficult to determine which areas are snow, or ice, until you are already travelling down the slope at high speeds. Throw camouflaged undulations into the mix and it is clear that instability is one of the major issues that has to be factored into a snow specific strength and conditioning programme. For those of us that don’t live close to ski resorts all year round, we have to think outside of the box on how we can best prepare the body in the gym for the physical demands of skiing and snowboarding. Here is a run down on some of the key components of fitness that we will be addressing on the upcoming SnowFit course.