Endurance on the mountain: How to get fit for winter
Skiing is actually what is known as interval training. Your leg and torso muscles and your cardiovascular system are active when going downhill and take a break when going up in the lift. Of course, interval training should be understood with a wink, as it depends on downhill speed, duration and intensity. In addition, you need good reactivity and coordination of the muscles when braking.
Endurance on the mountain is a long-term project throughout the year.
For good basic endurance, I recommend that you do a jog of 40-60 minutes 1-2 times a week. If you don't have a heart rate monitor, you should only run fast enough to still be able to have a casual conversation. Alternatively, you can get on a racing bike, which you can also use to build up good basic endurance.
For shorter endurance hacks, I recommend that you find a time slot each evening to do a short sprint. Find a short distance in front of your house, a starting point and a finish line and then start sprinting at full speed. Feel free to make a little game out of it and use a stopwatch. You can enter your successes over time in a table and see your progress.
Rope skipping or rope jumping are also a very good endurance training for in between. 5-10 minutes are enough to send an intense stimulus to the cardiovascular system. Every stimulus, no matter how brief, has an effect. Never forget this in your routine.
Climbing stairs is the simplest everyday movement that you can always choose instead of the lift to train your endurance and muscles. Use stairs regularly and activate your buttocks going upstairs.
In the blog “Long Skiing! Empty thighs? With these 3 thigh hacks you won't run out of gas" there are more exercises for a quick fitness kick.
Core muscles are also important when skiing. There are valuable exercises for the torso in the blog “With these 3 power packs we stay fit together”
What you can take away for your endurance on the mountain:
- Every stimulus, no matter how small, on your muscles and cardiovascular system pays off on a skiing vacation
- Take 10 minutes in the evening for 1-2 exercises that you can really do regularly
- Try to do a long-term endurance sport 1-2 times a week
Developing a sporting routine over the year can help you in the long term for your endurance on the mountain and the risk of injury is minimized, you can ski longer and therefore enjoy skiing more.
Keep moving!
