Fitness tips

1- Your heart

To prepare your body for active exercise at altitude, you should follow an easy cardio programme the whole year round.  This will ensure that your muscles are well stocked with oxygen to better protect the joints.  City dwellers especially need to do this.  Cycling is an ideal way to train.

2 - Tone and build up the muscles in your legs

Downhill skiing requires mostly muscular effort, and so you are recommended to follow a toning and strengthening programme for any part of your body that will be used.  It is largely the leg and thigh muscles that are used for skiing and the best way to improve them at the gym is to do small leg bends and squats.

3 - Look out for your back

Skiing puts a good deal of strain on the back.  To strengthen it, you need to do lots of abdominal exercises.  Also think about your shoulders.  It's worth doing some physical exercise to improve your ski style as well as to avoid accidents that can cause injury.

4- Suppleness

You can sometimes find yourself in a "tricky" situation on the slopes: the splits, loss of balance etc.  Supple muscles will limit the extent of any tensing or tears.  Stretching should be done on a regular basis to maintain suppleness, not only at the end of a hard day's skiing.

5 - Warming up

You can just get warmed up at home: a warm body in a temperate atmosphere is easier to warm up than a cold body surrounded by cold air.  Bend your legs, make shoulder movements.  Putting your ski boots on, walking, fixing your skis - all of this is a great additional warm up.

6 - Food and water

Don't overdo it!  Coffee, alcohol... The best way is to makes sure you have a balanced diet.  Since you're going to require extra effort from your body... you need to feed it the necessary things to respond.  It might seem a silly thing to say, but you also need to learn how to drink properly.  Especially when you're at altitude, when you don't feel so thirsty.  Drinking plenty of water is also the best way for your muscles to recuperate and it helps you avoid back problems.

7 - Rest

At least two weeks before the ski season, make sure you're getting enough rest.  Try to sleep properly.  Sleep and food are the basis of excellent physical condition.

8 - Recuperation

Stretching, steam room, sauna... whatever you prefer, the choice is yours.  Again, food and sleep are essential.  However, don't eat meals that are too rich but do eat plenty of pasta, which is ideal for helping you recuperate your energy levels.

9 - Look after yourself

The first thing you should put in your bag is some water and sugar-rich protein bars.  Sun cream is a must, it's so obvious that we almost no longer dare say it.  Sunglasses and goggles that are suitable for mountain sunlight are also essential: you should note that the reflection of the sun's rays is stronger at altitude than at sea... and can cause serious eye problems.

10 - Risks

Amateur skiers must also take the risks seriously!  As ski equipment has developed over time, with the introduction of shorter, faster skis, there's a tendency to think that skiing is easy.  The result is an increase in accidents.  The medical profession has also had to evolve alongside the development of new equipment.  These days there are fewer fractures and more problems with ligaments.  Above all it is speed that increases the risks.  So be careful and learn how to control your skis.  Wearing a helmet is strongly advised.

Updated November 2008