Shape up for ski season: How to work out before hitting the slopes

Athletes, sports enthusiasts and – yes – couch potatoes beware: Ski and snowboarding season is on its way.

That means it’s either time to step up the current exercise routine or start a new one altogether in order to get those calves, hamstrings, glutes and abdominal muscles ready for the slopes.

How to get stronger and build more endurance doesn’t have to be an expensive goal, especially with tips from local experts who pride themselves on staying in shape.

Easy ways to increase your endurance without much effort or money: 

Getting in shape doesn’t mean spending tons of money on costly gym memberships or personal training sessions – it’s all a matter of perspective, said Jane Broida, a professor at the Department of Health Professions at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

“What I really believe is that people need to build exercise into their daily lives,” she said.

For instance, rather than taking the closest parking spot at the grocery store, park far away and walk the extra distance to burn more calories.

“I do curls with my groceries,” Broida said. “Certainly as we get into the ski season, people should be building up muscle through more vigorous activity by walking greater distances or climbing stairs that they weren’t climbing before.”

Taking the stairs instead of the elevator or the escalator –  whether it’s at the office, the doctor’s office or visiting a friend in a high-rise condo –  can help tone legs and glutes.

“We all have busy lives, but we can build some of this into our daily routines,” she said. “I’m not saying it’s the sole part of your routine, but it certainly helps.”

Additionally, rather than paying someone to rake leaves or shovel snow, do it yourself, she said. Both activities help strengthen the core muscles.

She also suggests riding a bike to work, appointments or family gatherings. Now that Denver has a bike sharing program, people don’t need to actually own a bike in order to take advantage of the physical benefits.

Slow and steady helps build muscular and  cardiovascular endurance:

Whether you’re already in shape or just starting a fitness regimen, it’s important to take it slow while building muscle and physical endurance, said Joseph Quatrochi, who has his Ph.D. and is a professor of human performance and sports at Metro State University.

“One of the most important considerations for an exercise dropout, is when people try to do too much too fast,” Quatrochi said. “If you get too tired or you get injured, then it’s easy to say ‘I’m just going to forget the whole thing.’”

For beginners, start by walking up hills or walk on the treadmill at a five percent grade to get your heart pumping, he said.

After building cardiovascular endurance, work on muscle strength in the lower half of the body and the core.

Lunges are extremely important to help build leg muscle in the areas that need to gain strength for skiing and snowboarding, Quatrochi said.

Air squats and wall squats are also excellent in building proper muscle.

“Both are just body weight, which is just what you’re doing while skiing or snowboarding (using your body as your weight to get down the mountain),” Quatrochi said.

Quatrochi teaches adult exercise programs, cardiac rehabilitation and community fitness programs, along with many other sports-related classes.

Free trials and fitness classes:

Free is not a word our society hears very often, especially when it comes to fitness classes. But Joe Hendricks has embraced the idea for the last several years, offering free three-hour training sessions at Red Rocks Amphitheater at 8 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday morning.

His fitness routine is so difficult that it’s called It Burns Joe Fitness – www.itburnsjoefitness.com.

Another way to find a good fit is to try a class. Most companies offer the first class free.