Prepping For The Slopes With Alpin Haus: Tips From Personal Trainer Thomas Sammis

PRLog (Press Release) - Feb. 21, 2013 - http://www.alpinhaus.com: There’s still time to prep for the slopes, and with March on the way you’ll want to hit the snow with confidence--before it’s gone. Preparing your body for a sport which requires flexibility and a strong core shouldn’t be left until the night before the ski. Warming up for a few minutes isn’t enough, and often proves to be ineffective when the skier isn’t prepared overall for a day of intense winter activity. So physically speaking, how exactly does one prepare for a ski trip? The many answers to this question aren’t nearly as difficult or bothersome as you might assume.

Preparing throughout the week/weeks involves securing your core strength, but moreover keeping your “core stabilizers” ready for action. Personal trainer Thomas Sammis from Snap Fitness gives some insight:

“Traditional crunches are the most common; but strengthening the core stabilizers should be your ultimate goal. These muscles are vital; developing these for optimal performance should be the aim of any skier or snowboarder. An exercise suited for this would be planking.”

There are many variations of “planking,” but this is one of the most common variations--step by step:

1.       Start in the plank position, your forearms and toes on the ground

2.       Gently shift your weight to your right forearm.

3.       Now, extend your left arm straight out

4.       Hold for a number of seconds, and keeping your core tight

5.       Slowly bring your arm back previous position.

6.       Switch arms and continue

Try it out! The only things you have to lose are muscle spasms, cramps, and the dissatisfaction from your performance.

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/12084893/1