Why You Should Exercise Now For The Upcoming Ski Season

You know the feeling. The night before hitting the slopes, you're anxious with anticipation. Instead of sugar plums, crystalline snowflakes are dancing in your head, beckoning you to come play.

The mountain waits, reaching across the distance, whispering in your ear, "I'll see you soon. And pick me up a coffee on your way over."

You arrive.

The day is a glorious, powder skimming dream. It's just like you imagined, your skills haven't deserted you over the course of the year. Yes indeed, you've still "got it."

But then the afternoon hits. That subtle ache in your calves and hamstrings hangs around just a little longer...just a little longer. Until you realize that burn has edged beyond the good burn - that "I'm feeling the burn," type of satisfied burn.

Pretty soon you're struggling to make it down a full run without pondering what you're muscles will feel like the next morning. (Or even earlier, though an apres beverage will take care of that temporarily).

You think back on the past summer months when you could have been preparing for the astoundingly ripe ski conditions.

Dread rises in your chest as you wonder if you'll have it in you to crawl out of bed and hit the slopes again for a second, bliss-filled day. Your heart races, even as your legs become the jelly they've staved off for the last few hours. Until...

Suddenly you awake!

It's not the night before your ski trip after all. In fact, it's the summer and you have months to get your muscles in shape for the glorious pow.

Luckily I've scoured the net and found some workouts to get you started.

• Tips For Weekend Warrors (from About.com) - Great article detailing how to build endurance and strength through a variety of exercises; also includes a comprehensive ski workout.
• Ski Like Bode Miller: Preseason Workout (from NG Adventure) - For those types that enjoy an unconvential workout (bounding over rocks, pushing a stone-filled wheelbarrow up a hill), then this article is for you; the oddly hilarious illustrations are a highlight too.
• One-Minute Workout For Skiers & Snowboarders (from AskMen.com) - Whether you're a skier or a snowboarder, this article details an easy and effective way to increase leg muscle strength.