Surrey Homes | SH64 | February 2020 | Interiors supplement inside

Earn your après ski and dodge injuries with
Sarah Maxwell’s exercise tips for getting ski-fit
Flights and accommodation
booked, lift passes sorted,
snazzy new ski jacket ready
to burst out of its wrapping. Did
you remember everything?
After the last few weeks of buzzing
around getting organised for
Christmas and putting yourself last in
order to make everyone’s Christmas
merry, are you even fit to ski?
Skiing is an intensely physical
activity and one that
you are likely to be
doing for several hours
a day and at altitude.
Here are my tips to
help you get ski-fit by
improving your fitness
now so you can make the
most of your precious
time on the slopes,
minimise injury and
maximise your enjoyment!
Get Cardio Active: Increasing
your general cardiovascular fitness
by cycling, running, circuit
training, or even walking, can
make a big difference as long as
you get your heart pumping.
Strong on
the Slopes
Strength Training: Look out for the
many ski fit classes in the area this
season. Cross-fit, kettle bells and
strength-based circuits are really
“Being flexible
will help your
skiing in general
as well as helping
you recover
much more easily
when you do
take a tumble”
effective. The key areas to focus on are
the legs, back and core. Working on
your core allows your legs to work as
shock absorbers in all kinds of terrain.
Squats and lunges in abundance will
make a huge difference to your leg
strength. Not a member of a gym? I
have recently found a great app called
SkiFit which shows you ski specific
exercises that you can do at home.
Flexibility and Balance:
being flexible will help
your skiing in general
as well as helping you
recover much more
easily when you do
take a tumble. Balance
work and yoga classes
will make a real
difference and might
even help you fall
over less. I have found
that regular standing
yoga poses have really made a
difference to how often I fall over!
Warming Up: When you’re there –
don’t forget to warm up! A lot of time
is spent in chairlifts and gondolas and
by the time you get to the top your
body will have cooled down. Use
those few moments waiting for others
to warm up, loosen and prepare
your body for the fun to come.
Exercise of
the month:
THE PLANK
The plank strengthens your
spine, shoulders, engages your
abdominals, glutes and hamstrings;
if you do nothing else prior to
hitting the slopes, do this!
To perform a plank, bend your
elbows and rest your weight on
your forearms, ensuring the rest
of your body is fully laid out
behind you on the floor. Engage
your stomach muscles, raise your
pelvic floor and squeeze your
bottom. Bring your feet beneath
yourself so you are balanced on
your forearms and toes. Hold your
body in a straight position for
10-60 seconds depending upon
your fitness level. Slowly release
back into the starting position.
Repeat 3 times.
✣
If you find this position too
difficult at first, lower your
knees to the floor and build
up your strength gradually.
✣
Now go and have a ball!
✣
Sarah Maxwell is a multiple awardwinning
Fitness and Lifestyle coach
and mum of two who juggles a lot
of balls. Find out more about Sarah
and her work at sarahmaxwell.com
Sarah shares her Fitness and
Lifestyle tips on Instagram
@sarahmaxwelllifestyle
surrey-homes.co.uk
98