By Eric Vohr
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, December 8, 2006

It doesn't matter whether you spend the bulk of your time sliding down green trails or tackling expert black-diamond bump runs, a solid preseason training routine that focuses on fitness, flexibility and strength will help you get the most out of your ski season.

John Workman, a personal trainer and skier who works at Results gym in Dupont Circle, has helped many local snow sports enthusiasts get ready for the season. He says training should start a good two months before your first day skiing. He recommends a minimum of three 30-minute gym sessions a week targeting the front and back of the legs, upper and lower back, chest, abdominals and shoulders. In addition, Workman suggests two to three aerobic sessions a week that last at least 15 minutes and get your heart rate up to 65 or 75 percent of your maximum rate.

"You're asking your body to do something that is extremely physically demanding. For that, you'll need a trained body," he says.

Aerobic fitness is essential to any sport. If you're in good shape, you'll log more runs, recover faster in the evening and feel better the next day. Any activity that will make you sweat and breathe hard will get you in good cardiovascular shape, according to Andrew Walshe, high performance director for the U.S. Ski Team. In a telephone interview from the team's training facility in Park City, Utah, Walshe offered some tips for preseason ski fitness. For cardio, he suggests running, biking or hiking to get your heart and lungs in shape. If you live at sea level and are going to a high-altitude, low-oxygen environment such as the Alps or the Rockies, aerobic training is that much more crucial.

Skiing also takes strength. Navigating even the gentlest bunny hill uses muscles you didn't know you had. And although leg conditioning is key, skiing taps into a wide variety of your body's resources. So in addition to working on those hamstrings and quad muscles, both Walshe and Workman suggest you work on your core muscles: your stomach and back. And don't forget your arms and shoulders; even though ski poles don't weigh a lot, you're working your arms all day.

Walshe advises hitting the gym three to five days a week for at least a month before you hit the slopes; eight weeks is even better. The intensity of your workout should reflect the intensity of your skiing. If you're a top-level skier, run faster and farther, use heavier weights and put in more hours at the gym.

Once you've outlined a solid fitness program, make sure to incorporate flexibility exercises as well. Nikki Stone, aerial gold medalist at the 1998 Winter Olympic Games, says a regular stretching routine is an essential component of any fitness and strength regimen. Stone is a specialized ski guide at Park City's Deer Valley Resort, where she works with skiers of all levels. She says flexibility and fitness not only make for better skiing but also help keep your joints bending and not breaking.

Conditioning doesn't stop when the first snows fall. Unless you're hitting the trails five days a week, you're going to have to keep up your gym routine if you want to stay in shape. But it's not all about the gym; there are a lot of fitness tips you can take to the hill.

Foremost, take it easy your first couple of runs. No preseason conditioning routine, no matter how comprehensive, is going to work all those ski-specific muscles, so you'll want to give your body a chance to get acclimated.

Make sure you stretch and warm up before and after skiing. Walshe recommends hitting a stationary bike or going for a quick run in the morning and in the afternoon to help your body wind up and wind down.

Hydration is also important. You're losing a lot of fluids, so drink up (and that doesn't mean coffee or beer). Sport drinks and water are your best bets.

Eat a good breakfast and a light lunch. No matter how much you might want to stay out and ski the whole day, you need to eat lunch, or you're going to be dragging.

Walshe also cautions skiers that psychological conditioning is as important as physical conditioning. Remember, you're doing this to have fun. Don't lose sight of that. If you get wrapped up in your performance or are self-conscious about your ability, you're going to be tight and stiff and prone to injury.

As your technique improves, add more challenging goals. Study the trail map and talk to a staff member at the resort about terrain and your ability level. Get familiar with terrain, visualize yourself making clean linked turns, absorbing the bumps.

Finally, finish on a positive note; don't feel as though you have to prove to someone that you can make it until the lift closes. The key is to quit before you feel like you're tired. Save something for tomorrow.

Remember, the end of the day is when you're at the highest risk of injury -- the sun sinks behind the hill, the light gets bad, temperatures drop, the snow gets icy, your legs are weak and your brain is faded. If you get off the hill early, you not only save yourself potential harm but you can get the best seat in front of the fire in the apres-ski bar.

Fitness is everything with skiing. Unlike in badminton, you can take a real beating on the ski slopes if you're not in shape.

The following Web sites offer workout and training guidance.

ABC-OF-SKIING: http://www.abc-of-skiing.com/ski-fitness/ski-fitness.asp.

J2SKI.COM: http://www.j2ski.com/ski_tips/Ski_Fitness/index.html.

IFYOUSKI.COM: http://www.ifyouski.com/Health.