Prepare your body during the weeks leading up to your ski trip - it will also improve performance and reduces the chance of injuries and falls.

Specific training is important because winter sports use different muscles to exercise that you do at home like cycling, and many people don’t know how to work them.

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Training is all the more important because ski resorts are at high altitude, and it’s pretty intense being on the slopes all day every day.  Performed regularly, the following drills will help improve overall fitness, posture, balance and even technique. When doing them, aim to hold the body in the right position (aka alignment) for ski, as this trains the body to move efficiently on the slopes. It’s a good idea to try the exercises in front of a mirror (wear shorts), so you can watch, analyze and correct your position.

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Find the perfect knee position

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Why do it? Unless knees are positioned centrally over feet, skiers can’t carve properly because the uphill ski won’t hold an edge. The knees being out of position also causes knee pain, including problems with kneecap and tendons.

 

Try this check: With feet in ski or snowboard position bend your knees, focus on the center of the knee cap then visualize a vertical line dropping from there to the floor. It should land in a central position between the second and third toe, however, most people find it lands closer to the big toe or even between the feet.

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Correct with this drill: Staying in the same ski/snowboard position, twist the knees out until they’re pointing forwards, then practice bending and straightening them while keeping them pointing forward. Aim for at least 30 repetitions every day.

 

Find the perfect pelvis, hip and back position

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Why do it? Sticking your bottom out too much or tucking it too far under makes it hard for the muscles of hips, pelvis and spine to work properly, which is fundamental to good technique and preventing back and knee pain.

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Try this check: Look at your body from the side as you move into a ski  position and compare to the pictures here. You want to be in the middle, not at either extreme.

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Correct with this drill: Tuck your bottom under as far as you can, then stick it out as far as you can, then move 50 per cent of the way between the two. The aim is to retrain hips and pelvis to find the ideal half-way “neutral” position, enabling muscles to work properly.

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Next, practice maintaining pelvic neutral while mimicking skiing movements. Retraining a habit - or, more technically speaking, a neurological pathway between brain and body - is all about doing something over and over again, so aim for at least 30 repetitions a day.

 

Build leg strength - quadriceps

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Why do it? The quadricep (front of thigh) muscles work in two ways on the slopes, helping as you both bend and straighten the knees. The controlled lengthening of the quads from straight to bent is called eccentric training and is a fundamental and often neglected component of ski training. Cyclists note that quads are not worked eccentrically on a bike.

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Try these drills: Step downs and split squats are both great ways to work quads in the ski way. Use the posture exercises above to make sure you stand correctly as you do them and start with 30 repetitions. Then add weight gradually, by holding weights - or if exercising at home, by wearing a backpack containing tins of food for example. Work the muscles to fatigue, then take two days off so they to recover between workouts.

Don’t, however, bother with sitting against a wall squats - they can lead to skiing with weight too far back. 

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Build leg strength - gluteal muscles

 

Why do it? The lateral hip muscles, in particular the gluteus medius (buttocks), are important because they’re not used in the same way in any other sports so are often weak.

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Try these drills: First is the clam exercise. Lie on one side with hips and knees bent. Keep ankles together and lift the top knee, then lower it again, like a clam opening and closing. Hips and pelvis should not rock backwards as you open the knees, and you should feel the muscles working on the upper side of the buttock. Repeat 30 times on each side then practise a similar movement in a standing position, so you learn to use the same muscles in the way you would on the slopes.

Second is the wall ball exercise. Stand with a wall at your side and a long mirror in front. Put a ball between knee and wall, then twist both knees out slightly as you lift the foot on the ball side up behind the same knee. Push yourself away from the wall gently using the knee, keeping shoulders squarely over hips (no leaning). If you feel an intense sensation in the outside of the buttock furthest from the wall you’re doing it correctly (stop if you feel pain anywhere else). Next, bend and straighten the knee ensuring the knee stays in line with the second/third toes. Repeat until you can no longer maintain the alignment or sensation in the buttock. Aim for 30 on each side, but it’s better to do a few reps perfectly than many with poor alignment.

 

Improve propulsion

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Why do it? Once you’ve built up strength, it’s time to move onto propulsive movements - being able to propel yourself into the air is particularly important for off-piste steeps and moguls.

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Try this drill: Jump sideways onto then off a step, starting with a low step and gradually making it higher, always making sure position is perfect of course.

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Improve spatial awareness

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Why do it? The body’s positional sense is called proprioception, and it’s particularly important for skiing and snowboarding in bad visibility. Improving it is also one of the best ways to prevent injury.

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Try this drill: Stand on one leg with eyes closed for two minutes twice a day. When this gets easy, add some small movements, such as little knee bends or brushing your teeth. Hover your hands over a stable surface, so you can grab it if you lose balance.

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Train heart and lungs

 

Why do it? If alignment is correct, the body works so efficiently you can get away with a lower level of heart and lung - aka cardiovascular - fitness. However, most of us of are still on the path to perfection, so training is still important - and interval training increases its efficiency because it puts maximum strain on the heart and lungs to make them fitter, and takes the least time.

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Try this drill: Cycling or using a step machine works some of the muscles used in skiing and snowboarding. Aim for three to four 20 to 30 minute interval training sessions a week, working harder to increase the heart rate for two minutes, then working less hard to drop it right down for a minute before doing the same again, throughout the session. Remember to build up the exercise slowly and incrementally.