Time to get in shape for the skiing season! Even though it’s summer, many resorts cater skiing enthusiasts during this season. However, hitting the slopes right away without exercising enough leaves you with sore muscles screaming in pain the following day. Therefore, you must take your muscles through a thorough training program before you slip into your skiing boots. You would be wise not to wait until the last moment and avoid achy muscles performing the right dose of training before beginning the season.
Here are some basic yet effective exercises to tone your muscles before you go zipping down a snow-covered mountain slope.
Squats
Put your feet apart parallel to your shoulders after holding dumbbells adjacent to the shoulders. Bend down on your legs as much as you can by looking straight at the wall keeping your eyes focused on it. It does take you to the edge, but putting in the effort today sees you gain tomorrow. This exercise strengthens your thighs greatly, a must-have to enjoy twisting and turning down scenic mountain slopes.
Sit-Ups
Make sure that you perform at least the basic elbows-to-knees exercises and then move on to the more elaborate abs workouts as you gain on fitness. Sit-ups help you strengthen your upper thigh muscles as well as your calf muscles. Strong core muscles are necessary to help you steer your way through the slopes enjoying the magnificent views.
Lunges
While keeping the toes of your left foot attached to the ground, walk with your right foot as far as you can go. Then repeat the process with the other leg. Lunges work on your strength and balance, helping improve both. They also give your legs some much-needed stretching which helps prevent injuries. Lunges also help improve your overall fitness.
Burpees
This one is a bit difficult to perform. After starting from a standing position, you’ll have to drop to the ground, ready for a pushup. Get back to your feet using the upward momentum and follow through with a jump having your hands in the air to end the exercise. Repeat this movement but take care not to go overboard as this exercise does need a lot of stamina. Burpees give your body a vigorous shake-up, just perfect before you hit the slopes.
Having given you a rundown on some very effective exercises, we bring you some skiing apps for your mobile, just the right tools to optimize your skiing experience. These apps can help you improve your skiing techniques no end. We have picked two apps compatible with both Android and iPhones.
Ski Tracks
With Ski Tracks, you can track the routes you plan to take while scanning the runs and elevations all day. The app is compatible with smartwatches, and you can link it to your social media profiles sharing your performance results with your friends and catching up on the latest tips from them. The app with vital data in a place like runs, maximum speed, altitude, duration, and distance helps you monitor your performance daily. It can run for as long as 14 hours after a single charge and therefore makes for an ideal skiing companion.
Ski and Snow Report
If you aren’t too keen to have any skiing app, this is one that you should still go for. This app is ready with updated reports on snow conditions from more than 2000 skiing destinations spread globally. You can view reports from various places and upload your own along with photos. You may refer to the snow forecasts at the skiing venues you plan to visit. The powder alert feature sends you notifications when your favorite resort receives its first snowfall.
After going through a thorough workout regime and downloading the right app, you are ready to hit the slopes. However, you should always ensure that the apps you use, especially the ones tracking your vitals during exercises, deal with your data with the utmost respect. For instance, your workout regimen should not be used for advertising purposes. These companies should also not sell your health data to third parties. Thus, before downloading an app, be sure to read their privacy policies.
If you wish to protect the data that travels online, you should install a VPN. It encrypts your online traffic, meaning that apps and websites have limited opportunities to track you. Additionally, a VPN tool helps you change your IP address. As a result, you can avoid differential pricing when clients pay more than other users (depending on their location).
Conclusion
Skiing is a rigorous exercise that takes a toll on your muscles. To make sure that you are up to the challenge before it starts snowing, design yourself an exercise regime for a thorough workout of your muscles. It’s wise to get in shape before you hit the slopes to avoid your muscles aching with pain after you do so. Having the right apps with the right information helps you prepare better for the skiing season ahead as well.
