STAY FIT THIS SUMMER

So how do you do it? How do you enjoy summer sports and recreation activities without losing your ski-specific fitness level? Just being outside and taking a good walk 6/7 days has been proven to keep you moderately fit and help you live longer. Start your summer by establishing your objectives. The four basic physiological components of athletic performance are mobility, technique, intensity/power, and capacity. So understand how the physiological components manifest in your everyday activities. Then create a balanced and comprehensive program for yourself (guided ideally by a professional trainer) addressing mobility, technique, intensity/power, and capacity.  Mobility is the degree to which you can move any body part. Mobility – especially in your ankles, knees, hips and spine – gives you options and variability. Stretching and range-of-motion drills are key here.  Technique is the source, order, sequence and magnitude of your movements. If your joints and their mobility are the instruments in an orchestra, technqiue is the conductor telling them when to get louder or softer.  Intensity is horsepower…the intensity of your output relative to your maximal capability. Sprinting for 10 seconds is more intense than running a marathon, but the latter is more difficult.  Capacity is your ability to repeat bouts of exertion without a deterioration in your intensity.  In order to create a program and meet your goals, you need to first identify your own individual benchmarks for each of the above components.  This is taken with permission from Fitness for Skiing by Doug Kechijian and Chris Fellows, published by PSIA-AASI. The book is a great reference for designing and achieving your summer fitness goals.  So get out there, get after it, and do it!

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