Skiing is extremely strenuous just as a leisure activity, let alone when undertaken like a competitive sporting discipline in any of its variations (i.e. acrobatic, cross-country/downhill/slalom racing etc.). That's the reason you must strive to ensure that you hold the all-round bodily fitness necessary to be able to satisfy the differing yet simultaneous physical calls for agility, balance and speed - therefore, the need to undertake snowboard machine!
Your body needs to be physically prepared with toning & conditioning; ideally, your ski fitness training should commence not less than 8 weeks prior to setting foot around the slopes the very first time in any season. The goal should be principally targeted towards building muscular strength and developing maximum endurance, mainly in the biggest muscle group of the body: the legs!
Most physical training instructors would rightly advise firstly carrying out warm-up activities before anxiously beginning the actual proper bulk exercise component of the ski fitness training. Performing gentle stretches in this warm-up prepares the body for what is to follow by slowly stimulating blood flow, thus avoiding any abrupt blood pressure alteration & hence being kinder to muscles (including the heart!); they also initiate the internal secretion of bodily fluids used to help feed the muscles and lubricate bone-joints whilst exercising for the duration of your ski fitness training session.
Stretching should start at the top of the body and work progressively downwards without rushing - less than 5 minutes rarely is in adequate... closer to 10-15 minutes would be much more preferable, before proceeding to invest 15-20 minutes on the treadmill in a pace equivalent to anywhere between a fast-walk & a light jog; this really is basic cardio training which should always form part of any worthwhile regular basic ski fitness training program: as well as improving blood flow throughout the body, it makes the heart stronger whilst also trying to lower levels of bad cholesterol (so the stronger heart can perform it's job even more easily, still AND blood readily circulates more freely than ever before) & improve overall breathing (meaning the greater circulating blood is much more richly oxygenated, allowing muscles to do more strongly for sustained longer periods on account of being better fed).
Good blood flow throughout the body is very important when you are undertaking ski fitness training and it is even more vital during actual skiing in weeks in the future, the point being that the ski fitness training should simulate as closely as you possibly can the type & extent of demanding physical activity to which your body will be subjected when doing the real skiing. For this reason, it's a good idea to consider incorporating skipping-rope jumping into your ski fitness training course since that doesn't just improve blood circulation; it also conditions the knees into bending and develops thigh muscle strength & endurance. It is also faster than jogging and so begins to exercise the 'fast' muscle fibres; this is desirable because most forms of skiing are over uneven surfaces which demand that the leg muscles respond quickly towards the rapidly undulating conditions beneath: for the same reason, faster running after the earlier fast walk/slow jog could be beneficial.
Finally, consider weight training; however, in doing so, be sure to concentrate on lifting lighter weights (5-10 kg) more times (high repetitions) since the aim is to tone & condition, developing endurance strength rather than packing on bulk muscle growth (that is what will happen because of lifting heavy weights fewer times); also, use dumbells rather than fixed (i.e. barbells & dumbells instead of multi-gyms and weight-lifting machines): this ensures that you avoid potentially damaging/weakening artificial action and instead conserve a natural dynamic flow throughout the full range of bodily joint movement inside your ski fitness training routine - by doing so, you also simultaneously gain better balance & co-ordination as strength increases with what is referred to as your body core, which stabilises your trunk & spine.
By including some, any or all of these basic activities inside your ski fitness training course, you may equally well . improve your chances of avoiding injury. Obviously, aside from physical aspect of ski fitness training to build up agility, balance, endurance, strength & speed, good nutrition can also play a part. There is no recommended special diet for ski fitness training programs; nor does good nutrition necessarily mean lower carbohydrates, as numerous popular diets advocate nowadays - ski fitness & training activities need a lot of energy so you would be ill-advised to take too few carbohydrates: you're simply recommended to watch your food intake (as well as how much of it & when) to become well nourished: a good, healthy,well-planned & sensible diet will include proportionally correct amounts of all appropriate carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins & minerals to keep the body going during ski fitness training and whilst later enjoying the actual real skiing itself.
