Should I be preparing my body for the upcoming season?
As summer is coming to an end, that only means one thing. Winter is coming...
Here in Revelstoke, BC, that means all the snow activities that you could dream of. Skiing, snowboarding, split-boarding, ski touring, ice climbing, snow-mobiling, just to name a few!
The thing about living in a climate that has very diverse seasons, is it's hard to keep up your 'fitness' in one sport all year round. The snow is only here for so long before the sun comes out for a few months and melts it. So, should we be training pre-season for what's to come?
In my opinion, you should be doing as much as possible to assist your body in the preparation of what's to come. This includes physical fitness, nutrition, and mindset. These three factors determine how your season goes -- to avoid injury, keep healthy enough to continue doing what you love, and to push through the tougher days where you might not feel your best performing self.
I know it's hard to train for a sport when the one thing you need (snow, mountain access) isn't actually here yet, so here are some tips to get you started!
Replicate the main biomechanical movement as best you can This can look like, for example, doing movements to prepare for skiing such as lat pull downs to replicate using your poles, single leg glute stability exercises to replicate the strength needed to transfer weight when on a run, and upper back postural exercises to assist with good posture (we don't like seein a hunched back going down the ski hill! this can cause strain on your lower back, and can cause you to be easily more off balance).
Always stay on top of your basic core strength (year round!) Core strength is needed in every movement and sport we take part in, so don't let it fall to the bottom of your to-do list! Your core consists of your pelvic floor muscles, obliques, transverse abdominals and your classic 6-pack abs (although you don't need a 6-pack to have a strong core!!)
Maintain your joint range of motion Different range of motion is required depending which sport you are performing in, so make sure you're aware of what that looks like. A skiier needs great ankle range of motion, while a snow mobiler needs great throacic rotation to make those big turns in the alpine. increasing range of motion consists of slowly going in and out of your maximum range to help loosen up the fascia and surrounding tissues that might be holding on a bit too tight.
There you have it, no excuses for your pre-season blues! Get started on your health and fitness now, so you don't pay for it on a POW day!