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As one of the most strenuous and demanding sports, top-tier skiers understand the value of maintaining peak physical condition even during the off-season. At higher elevations, your lungs work harder, your muscles thirst for oxygen, and your ligaments and joints face unrelenting impacts from choppy conditions and terrain park progression. Even casual skiers need lasting endurance, joint-protective muscle support, and improved lung capacity; to address all of these vital skiing attributes, routine cardiovascular training offers it all.
Regardless of your skill level or plans for the upcoming season, every skier can benefit from a lung and heart-healthy cardio routine. With these easily incorporated cardio activities, priming your body for the harshest of mountainside conditions happens effortlessly. Appropriate for absolute beginners and experts alike, check out these cardio tips from the veteran skiers and riders at our snowboard shop in MD.
Sustained Elliptical Training
Give your joints some welcomed relief with the versatility of ellipticals. Elliptical training utilizes many of the same muscle groups as skiing does, and as your strength and endurance progress, you can easily adjust the intensity, and step length, and graduate to steeper glide angles to mimic mountain-like conditions with ease.
For leaner muscle gains and focused endurance improvement, aim for a longer workout duration of at least 30-60 minutes. If you can comfortably maintain a conversation during the workout, you may need to up the intensity.
For impactful strength and power, high-intensity variations with alternating difficulty peaks throughout the workout will replicate the various levels of intensity encountered on the slopes. Many modern ellipticals feature built-in programs for targeted training progression, so be sure to experiment with a variety of challenging modes and refine your workout as you become stronger.
Cycling is Another Joint-Friendly Option
Whether you hit the road or your local spin class, everything from your ankles to your hips becomes stronger with the compound benefits of cycling. Since skiing and riding are naturally hard on the joints, we like any off-season cardio activities that minimize joint impact. Cycling hits more of the important muscle groups, protects knees and hips, and is one of the most enjoyable training options out there!
Laps at the Lake or Pool
If a stationary elliptical or spin class isn’t your style, find a nearby lake or lap pool to take your lung capacity and total-body conditioning to the next level. Take the time to learn some different stroke styles, and begin working on a greater diversity of muscle groups while benefiting from whole-body gains with every refreshing lap.
Yoga & Calisthenics Training
Strap your mat to your new ski gear backpack, and head over to your local studio or explore some free online calisthenics and yoga videos. These balanced training styles pack cardio, core, lower body, and upper body conditioning into every workout. While enhancing stamina and tone, these exercises also incorporate joint-protective flexibility into your routine; an essential element of every successful ski training plan.
