Heading off to the slopes this winter? Whether you are packing the snowboard or a pair of skis, have a look at our tips to get you in top shape for your trip.

As well as being good fun, skiing and snowboarding can have great fitness benefits too, especially for the legs and core. However if you’re new to the sport or need a little refreshing there are plenty of exercises you can do to prepare yourself and help prevent the pain of aching muscles!In order to hold a steady and balanced position you need your core muscles firing at all times. Therefore working on developing your core before your trip will give you an upper hand on holding your balance when you find yourself slipping and sliding down the slopes. Exercises like leg pressing on a fit ball and squatting on a wobble board are all excellent at improving your core strength as they add in the component of instability, meaning your core muscles have to work harder than normal. Have a think about your exercise routine and how you could adapt it to help stabilise your core, for example adding a foam roller.

Often with skiing we tend to over develop our quadriceps muscles at the front of the thighs. Although strength in this area is important for this sport, we need to also remember our glutes/buttocks! Squatting is a classic ski preparation exercise, however having to lean forward slightly to maintain our balance can sometimes mean we over use our quadriceps which can lead to a muscular imbalance and possibly knee pain. Why not change it up and try using a TRX or a well-supported bar or post? This will enable you to put more weight through your heels and avoid leaning forward allowing your hamstrings and glutes to do more work and prevent muscle imbalance.If you find you need some extra help, here at Bridgeham we are able to offer specialised studio Pilates sessions to help you prepare.

If you find on your return that you have taken a few knocks and bumps or are just feeling a little achey then why not book in with one of our osteopaths or massage therapists to get you feeling back to normal?