MILO BRYANT: Work your muscles for slopes

A lot of people hit the slopes over the Thanksgiving holiday, and I'm sure they had fun racing down some of the season's freshest snow.

But for many, the thighs, glutes, calves and core are now paying for it with a quadruple helping of extreme soreness.

Here are a few simple ways to cut down or even prevent that soreness.

Exercise

It's not too late to start training for the slopes. If training is already a part of everyday life, then there is a good base to start with. If folks aren't exercising regularly, they might want to get started. Understand this about skiing: Sure, the lift carries us uphill and gravity carries us down. But we have to have more than a modicum of athleticism to be able to ski.

• Strength is the basis of all athleticism. We can't be stable if we're not strong. We can't be fast if we're not strong. We can't be agile if we're not strong. So spend a month to six weeks getting the body stronger - even more time is better, but I'm not naïve. I know some folks will take this and condense it to a week and think they're ready.

• After establishing a good strength base, start working moves that mimic skiing. Squat jumps, lunges with a twist at the bottom, medicine ball tosses, lateral bounding with both legs and single-legged, speed squats and more. Go to my blog at milobryant.blogspot .com and check the Nov. 5, 2007, entry for more exercises.

• Remember that rest is important. So, take a few days off before hitting the snow. Let the body recover.

Active recovery

We're certainly going to be tired after finishing a day of skiing. But the last thing we should do is plop down on the bed and sleep for 10 hours. Drinking a half-dozen beers won't help, either.

According to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, "The most common form of active recovery is cycling or spinning on a stationary bicycle. Spinning has been shown by USSA sport scientists to be the most effective mode of active recovery after skiing.

Typical protocols include 20-30 minutes of low-intensity spinning interspersed with short, high-intensity bursts to promote the removal of lactic acid from deep muscle tissues."

Hydration and nutrition

Skiers know that it's typically cold where there's snow - bikini skiing season isn't until April or May! That cold weather tends to play tricks on us, making us believe we're not as thirsty as we actually are.

The body sweats a lot while skiing. It loses a lot of moisture through breathing, too. We need to keep replenishing that water. Drink water before runs, between runs and after runs.

Eat sensible snacks, too, because as we ski, muscle glycogen, or energy stores, deplete.

We need to replenish them, as well. And take in sodium-rich food during recovery.

Remember, too, that beer, coffee or espresso and the hot tub only help promote sweating, and therefore a loss of more fluids.

Have fun skiing. And follow the steps above to have a lot more fun.

-

Bryant is a former Gazette reporter now living in San Diego. He holds training certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, USA Weightlifting and the Titleist Performance Institute. Reach him through the "contact" link at www.nobullfit.com.