Preparing to ski

By DAN STRAYTON
As published Dec. 19, 2007

We have planned a big ski trip in February and would like to start getting in shape for it now. What exercises should we be doing to prepare for this trip? – Barb and Don, Mt. Airy

Dear Barb and Don,

You have already taken the most important step in preparing for your trip by recognizing the need to prepare! To truly enjoy yourselves, and to reduce your chances of injury, you need to ready your body for the rigors of skiing.

Many individuals wait too long to get in shape and end up trying to cram weeks of exercise into a short period of time. By beginning 6-8 weeks in advance, you can progressively increase the intensity and duration of your exercise in a safe and reasonable manner.

You’ll need to concentrate on strengthening your quadriceps (front thighs), hamstrings (back thighs), glutes/hips, abdominals and low back. While skiing, your quads bear the brunt of the work, however, your hamstrings play a critical role in the function and protection of your knee by helping to support your knee and assisting the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in stabilizing the knee joint.

Your abdominals help you stay upright and balanced while skiing, will do a great deal to protect your back and midsection in the event of a fall and are invaluable when attempting to change directions. A strong and flexible lower back also helps reduce your chances of sustaining an injury from a fall.

Exercises like squats, lunges, leg presses, leg extensions, leg curls, ab crunches and back extensions will all do much to protect against injury and, just as importantly, they will improve your ability to meet the demands of skiing, thereby, enhancing your enjoyment of the sport. You should perform 2 sets of each exercise for 8-12 repetitions and gradually increase the resistance as your strength improves.

Improving your overall flexibility will also assist in injury protection. Maintaining flexible quads, hamstrings, calves, inner thighs and lower back will come in handy if a fall does occur.

You may also want to perform exercises that stress balance, coordination and/or agility. These may include one-legged squats, squats or lunges on unstable or soft surfaces, or line hops (with feet together, hop back and forth over a set line for 20 seconds).

You’ll also want to improve your cardiovascular endurance through aerobic exercise like walking, jogging, swimming, etc. This is important because your concentration, coordination, balance and timing are all affected when you’re tired - making you more likely to experience an injury.

A great way to prepare for skiing (or any sport) is to do interval training with your aerobic exercise. Alternate short, hard bouts of exercise with easier, recovery periods. Start with shorter intense bursts (30 seconds) and gradually increase their time and intensity (2-3 min) as you get in better shape.

You will train your body to better handle the “burn” your thighs will feel on the slopes and you’ll have a more interesting workout at the same time.

Lastly, make sure you have your skis sized correctly, they’ve been properly maintained and you have received basic instruction/refreshing prior to hitting the slopes. The best defense against injury is thoughtful preparation and common sense. Strong, flexible muscles, sufficient endurance and good balance are all necessary for your upcoming trip.

You have given yourselves time to get ready - don’t wait another moment! Good luck and keep moving!


[Dan Strayton, general manager at Health Unlimited on Century Drive in Mt. Airy, holds a master's degree in exercise physiology and would be happy to answer any questions you may have about exercise, health and fitness. Write to him in care of the Mt. Airy Messenger, P.O. Box 897, Mt. Airy, MD 217710897; or send e-mail to dans@myhealthunlimited.com.]

Fitness gift ideas

By DAN STRAYTON
As published Dec. 5, 2007

Do you have any suggestions for fitness gift ideas this holiday season?
–Carol, Mt. Airy

Dear Carol,

Fitness gifts – what a great idea! They’re certainly a healthier alternative to the “dessert-of-the-month club” or a box of steaks. Fitness gift ideas can encompass a broad range of products depending on your budget and the person for whom you are shopping. Below are just a few things to consider during your trips to the mall (or the internet).

Heart rate monitors – Heart rate monitors are excellent tools for helping to ensure your aerobic workouts are efficient and producing results. While Polar (www.polar.fi) is the name often associated with these electronic wonders, many companies have now produced their own quality alternatives.

Basic models provide just a heart rate reading while others can be programmed to emit an alarm when you have gone outside of your target heart rate zone. Prices range from $30 to more than $200.

GPS technology – The best gift I ever received was my Garmin Forerunner GPS runner’s watch. Using GPS (satellite) technology, this watch accurately measures the distance a runner covers on his/her daily outing.

If you have a runner in your life who has taken many trips in their car to measure how far he/she just ran, you may have just found their best gift ever! Visit garmin.com or timex.com for a variety of styles.

Also, Nike has their Nike+ shoe that has a built in GPS sensor to measure distance traveled and the ability to send that information to your iPod so you can actually hear how far you’ve gone, what your pace is, etc. Visit nikeplus.nike.com for more information on this incredible item.

Pedometer – A pedometer can measure the distance you’ve walked based on your normal stride length and can be worn throughout the day to give you an idea of how active you are on a daily basis. Exercise programs are far more effective when you have a way of measuring results and comparing your progress against previous workouts.

A pedometer is an excellent little tool for doing just that. A current trend is to try and accumulate 10,000 steps per day (based on research indicating that this is a threshold for significant health benefits). Prices range from $15-$30 (accusplit.com).

Dumbbells - One of the more common mistakes home exercisers make is to limit themselves to using the same set of dumbbells for a variety of exercises. Depending on the muscles used and the movement performed, this results in the exerciser using a weight that is too light in some instances and too heavy in others.

A product called “Powerblock” (powerblock.com) allows you to have access to dumbbells as low as 3 pounds to as high as 60 pounds with some sets - all in a compact 22” x 18” floor space! A great tool for the home exerciser who is looking for significant results from their strength training program.

Health club membership or gift certificates – Home exercise equipment is great but it can’t do the work for you. If you think the recipient of your gift won’t stick with an exercise program on his/her own, a membership or gift certificate to a health club or personal trainer may be the ticket.

The greatest dangers to exercise motivation at home are daily distractions (family, chores, T.V., etc.) and boredom (the same exercise, equipment and surroundings day after day). Health clubs offer a wide array of equipment and classes as well as professional instruction, motivation and encouragement in an environment more stimulating and interesting than your basement.

Check your local yellow pages or visit healthclubs.com for the nearest quality club.

Fun fitness accessories – Resistance bands, stability balls, jump ropes, aerobic steps, exercise videos and other fitness accessories add fun and variety to any exercise program. Check spri.com for ideas.

Another popular item these days is the BOSU (bosu.com). A BOSU (which is derived from the term “both sides up”) is basically a large exercise/stability ball cut in half. One side is an inflated rubber dome and the other is a solid, flat platform. This accessory can be used in a variety of ways to create challenging exercises and add fun to any routine.

Yoga/Pilates videos and equipment – Yoga and Pilates are extremely popular exercise methods right now both for home exercise and in health clubs and studios across the country.

You should be able to find a host of new videos that may also include accessories like mats, blocks, and exercise bands or balls. These range from $20-$80 depending on the accessories. Stott Pilates (stottpilates.com) and Hugger-Mugger (huggermugger.com) are big names in this area.

Don’t forget the music! One important component of any exercise program is music. Whether for motivation or distraction, music is a mainstay for many avid exercisers.

Portable music players – cassette, CD or MP3 – make great gifts and can be clipped to belts, held in your hand or even strapped to your arm while you exercise. Tunebelt (tunebelt.com) makes excellent belts for carrying these devices as well as provides a selection of headphone styles.

These are just a few ideas for you to consider this holiday season as you and your loved ones embark on the road to fitness. It is a worthwhile journey and one that I recommend we all take in 2008. Good luck, happy shopping, and keep moving!

[Dan Strayton, general manager at Health Unlimited on Century Drive in Mt. Airy, holds a master's degree in exercise physiology and would be happy to answer any questions you may have about exercise, health and fitness. Write to him in care of the Mt. Airy Messenger, P.O. Box 897, Mt. Airy, MD 217710897; or send e-mail to dans@myhealthunlimited.com.]