Get Ski-Ready with Summer Ski Exercises

Waking up the morning after the first ski day of the year usually feels like aging 30 years. Sore legs, stiff knees, and difficulty walking are bittersweet reminders of a lawnchair-potato-esque summer.

While skiing and boarding use unique muscle groups uncommon to everyday activity, there are many ways to keep ski-ready. Focus on activities that double as ski training, increasing fitness and stamina and involve getting outside and enjoying the sunshine!

Suggested Summer Ski Exercises:

• Wall Sits – Place your back against a wall with your legs in front of you and lower yourself down until your legs make a 90 degree angle. Hold this position for a length of time and increase your time each set, or add weights to increase intensity. Great for snowboarders, wall sits increase leg strength, getting you ready to stay bent all day while ripping down the slopes.
• Mountain Biking – Set up a downhill slalom course on your mountain bike. Not only will you work your legs riding up the hill, but you'll practice balance and timing your turns riding down, like you do on the slopes.
• Trail Running – Unlike the flat, repetitive surfaces of treadmills and roads, trail running keeps your mind sharp with logs, hills, bumps and ditches to avoid. Trail running increases your stamina, balance, and lets your practice making quick decisions turning between obstacles.
• Square Game – Place 4 cones, cups, pine cones, or discarded toys in a square 6 feet away from each other. Number each object 1 to 4. Pick, or have a workout buddy pick for you, a cone at random and sprint to touch the cones. You will need to decelerate to touch each cone and then explode off to touch the next one. Increase your stamina, reaction time, and have fun challenging yourself.
• Kayaking – Done properly, kayaking works your core similarly to skiing. Keep your upper body in one place and move your paddle from each side using your core to rotate your upper body. This imitates the upper-lower body separation of racing down the ski hill.
• Stair Climbing – Find the nearest tall office building, stadium or Stairmaster and start climbing. You'll keep your leg muscles fit and ready for the slopes while increasing your stamina and endurance. Spice up your routine by skipping steps, jumping two feet at a time, or racing against your personal best.
• Cone Running – Work on quickly shifting your balance and changing direction like you do on the slopes by running in a zig-zag. Set up cones or use imaginary mental markers to create a course to navigate through. You will practice moving away from the inside edge like on skis. Move the cones closer together for a challenge and to increase reaction times.

Stay active during the summer and enjoy the sunny weather. Day two of your next ski trip will be much more enjoyable!

Did you know many ski resorts offer summer activities to keep you in shape for when the snow flies? Find summer ski accommodations and stay ski-ready with activities like mountain biking, trail running, and hiking.