Today I was doing a Google search on some of the best skiing leg exercises. Panorama resort is so magical for those interested in ski Canada adventure.

I was shocked by some of the recommended ski fitness programs and the exercises that were recommended.

Not only was most of the information coming from people whose qualifications were impossible to find, but the suggestions that they were making could actually get a person hurt.

(Note: If you’re wondering what my qualifications are, I’ve been an NSCA-CSCS (Nationally Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association) since 2001. My background is in developing effective fitness programs for athletes and athletic teams.)

I’m sure you’re wondering what the suggested exercises were and if you are currently using any of them in your program.

Here’s a short list of the one’s that might actually hurt your program:

• Knee Extensions
• Leg Curl Machine
• Leg Press or Hip Sled
• Smith Machine Squats

And, I bet you’re wondering why you should avoid these exercises, too.

Let’s look at them one at a time.

1) Knee Extensions

Most people are familiar with this machine. You sit down, lock your legs in place and then extend at the knee by using your quadriceps (top of the leg). Not only is this not a motion that you’ll be using on the slopes, but it puts undue pressure directly on the knee joint. Is it important to have strong quads when skiing? Yes, but the wear and tear that you’ll experience over time in using this machine for skiing or for any reason will outweigh any potential benefit.

Recommended Alternative: squat and lunge variations

2) Leg Curl Machine

If you’re going to use either exercise #1 or #2, the Leg Curl Machine is the better option, but still does very little to directly improve your fitness for skiing. What is good about the focus on this muscle group is that most people are quad(ricep) dominant and do need to spend more time strengthening the back of the body (posterior chain) including the hamstrings. However, this exercise in particular focuses on activation of the hamstring through flexion of the knee joint. For ski performance and injury prevention, it will be far more important to focus on activating the hamstring through hip extension exercises. Greater stability and strength at the hip will provide for better cushioning on your landings and will help to stabilize the knee helping to prevent some of those unsightly injuries.

Recommended alternative: deadlift exercise variations

3) The Leg Press aka Hip Sled

Most people are familiar with this type of machine. Normally, we’ll see 2 versions – one where you are seated upright and are able to push a platform directly in front of you, and the second where you are in a lying position with the weights positioned above you at an angle. One benefit of the leg press is that it allows you to increase the resistance of the exercise by adding more weight. A second important factor to note is that the leg press exercise is a compound movement (you are moving at both the hip and the knee). What detracts from the benefits of this exercise are 1) the fact that you are in a lying or seated position, and 2) the positioning of the seat can create excess stress on your lower back because of the unnatural movement pattern it forces you through. Hopefully you’ll never be lying down or sitting on the slopes, unless it’s just for fun. Unnatural movement patterns mean that your body is moving in a way that it was intended to or is not functional to the desired result. The amount of flexion at the hip for the weight being moved is what can create excess stress at the back. Picture doing a squat while leaning forward. Now picture that same squat, still leaning forward, but with x number of pounds on your back. Ouch.

Recommended alternatives: squat and lunge variations

4) Smith Machine Squats

If I had to choose one exercise out of all of these to use with someone preparing for skiing, it would be the smith machine squat. It is the most functional in terms of the positioning that you’ll be using on the slopes and it is an example of a compound exercise where you’ll be activating the muscles around the hip and the knee at the same time. What is undesirable about this exercise is that it, too, forces unnatural movement patterns at the hip and lower back. These unnatural movement patterns can compound the impact of existing imbalances at the hips and lower back, and then spread to other joints of the body.

Recommended alternatives: squat and lunge exercise variations

Adjusting Your Skiing Fitness Program

Take a look at our blog post ‘3 Leg Training Exercises for Skiers’ for samples of what you can add to your existing program to help get you better prepared for the slopes. For our complete 6-week ski fitness program see the offseason ski program where you can get our “10 Stretches Every Skier Should Know” for free and also get a members only discount on the 6-week program.

David Bohmiller is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). His Off-Season Ski Program has been used by hundreds of men, women, and competitive skiers to gain an advantage on the slopes and ski with fewer aches and pains and with stronger muscles.

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If you are a water person, a day with no waves to surf opens up whole new horizons for water activities. Sometimes it is a blessing, kind of like a reprieve. Do you ever get tired of surfing every day? Don’t answer that question! Consider all of the possibilities that are available to you if there are no waves to surf. Enjoy the waves competition in every surf events held in your place especially right now there is a mobile app for surfing.

Here are some Surfboard Types for a no surf day:

· SUP

· Skimboard

· Wakeboard

· Paddleboard

· Wave Pool Surfboard

You have some real good alternatives. You can take your SUP to the ocean or to the nearest body of water and go for a leisure cruise or a great physical workout. It seems that more surfers are adding a SUP to their quiver. Many families are adding one or two SUPs or even more so that everyone in the family can get in the water. If they do not have a SUP, they go down to their local surf shop or water sports rental shop and rent one for the day for a very nominal amount.

As I have mentioned in prior articles, standup paddling has become a very popular activity for individuals and for families. It has become a great way to have fun while getting a good physical workout, cruising by yourself in a waterway, joining your local group of friends or a SUP club and turning your SUP experience into a social affair. Consider adding a SUP to your quiver of surfboards.

If you are younger, or a person with a lot of energy, you can go skimboarding. A skimboard is a small surfboard made to skim or slide in very shallow water with you standing on it. You can skim in water as shallow as 1/8th of an inch or less. In order to skim, you run as fast as you can carrying your skimboard, building up speed and momentum, drop your skimboard in the shallow water or wet surface, jump on it and then skim and slide for long distances. As you build your skill level, you can do spins, turns, jumps, and ride forward and backward. Be very careful when you are learning because you can lose control and land on your butt on the hard sand.

You can skim on lakes, rivers, and shorelines of just about any body of water of even on a wet lawn as long as there are no rocks or debris to inhibit your skim. Some of the kids riding skimboards ride them on grass hills in parks or on golf courses. You can also tow a rider on his or her skimboard behind a boat or even pulled by a car in an aqueduct. Skimboarding is a fun event and has turned into a small professional sport, with more and more companies making them. Most of the skimboards are hardboards made from fiberglass or wood, but there are also soft skimboards on the market called “the ONE” designed by Tom Morey the inventor of the Morey Boogie Board.

Wakeboards are another possibility, but you need a boat to tow you. You can ride behind the board as if you are water skiing or you can ride the wake of the boat letting go of the rope as if you are surfing. As a special note, Hobie Alter rode the wake behind a motor boat from Long Beach, CA to Catalina Island, which is approximately 26 miles and in the Guinness Book of World Records. You can also buy a wakeboard specifically designed for wakeboarding or you can use your surfboard, SUP or skimboard. Most surfers, engaging in this sport, will use their surfboards, either long or short.

Paddleboarding is another great way to spend time on the water. Paddleboards have been around for a long time and were made popular in Hawaii by Tom Blake back in the early 1900’s. A paddleboard is paddled in the prone position or on your knees. However, you can sit on the board and leisurely paddle around checking out the underwater foliage, fish or cruising around enjoying the fresh air and the view. You can also paddle your surfboard to keep yourself in paddling shape. There is a small group of individuals that race paddleboards. The most famous race is the annual Molokai to Diamond Head Race in Hawaii. It is a rough open ocean race where paddlers in the past have lost their lives.

Surfing a man made wave is another venue that has become somewhat popular. There are wave parks with simulated ocean waves some as big as 4 to 6 feet. There are also Standing Wave Machines where water is pushed under force up a wall simulating a wave. Special little surfboards are used and provided by the operators of the standing wave machines. The wave pools, wave parks, and standing wave machines are few and far between. Some are pretty good, but most are mediocre at best.

If you really need a break from surfing and don’t feel like riding one of the boards mentioned above, forget the couch and TV. Go to the gym and do some cardio, abs, and lift some weights. You can get a great workout preparing yourself for your next surf session and walk out of the gym feeling great because you have accomplished something for yourself. In a future article, I will be talking about a physical conditioning routine that all surfers should follow. I will also tell you about healthy eating, which is a big part of your physical well being, which will also help you improve your surfing.

So my friends, don’t let a day with no surf get you down. Make the most of it by having the proper surfboard types in your quiver that will make it possible for you to diversify your water experience. This is all a part of learning how to Surf Life. Enjoy the water, surf or no surf! It’s a blast!

Oak Street Surf was founded by Chuck Herpick, a Stanford graduate and former Naval Aviator, an accomplished surfer who has spent his lifetime in or near the ocean surfing most of the California and Hawaii breaks over the many years.

Chuck has been a friend and associate with legendary surfer Tom Morey who invented the Morey Boogie Board. Together, he and Tom have designed and made many different types of soft and hard surfboards and other surfing products.

Oak Street Surf, [http://www.oakstreetsurf.com], is an online surf shop representing the latest surfboard products. You can get a good review of top of the line surfboard types and designs. You can talk with Chuck to discuss in detail the various options for you to ensure that you select the proper surfboard type and design that will bring you surfing fun and success.

Chuck believes that surfing, whether it is bodysurfing, boogie boarding, board surfing, skimboarding or riding a Standup Paddleboard (SUP) will change your life forever. You will be able to apply the love you will obtain from surfing to everything you do and will learn how to Surf Life! What a joy!!

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Many types of holidays can help you enjoy your time off, be together with your family, and have a wonderful time. Skiing holidays can be great fun for you and your loved ones. However, when you are going on skiing holidays, there are several things that you must plan for ahead of time. These things include flights to get you to your destination, the accommodation that you choose to stay in when you are there, and transportation such as rail services and car hire services. All these things are important items to consider as you begin planning your skiing holidays. To make the most of a deals for ski Canada with Bluepowder.com.au, you may wish to visit one of the four main national parks – Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho.

Choosing A Destination

The first thing to remember when you are planning skiing holidays is the importance of the destination. There are many great ski slopes all over Europe, and lots of these places offer anywhere from a weekend to a week or more of skiing fun. Many resorts provide skiing holidays in mountain areas that are some of the most beautiful in the world. However, there are several questions that you need to ask before you choose the best place for your skiing holidays.

The first things you need to focus on while choosing skiing holidays are how long you are going to be there, the number of people who are going, and their ages. These are probably the most important factors in deciding where to take your skiing holidays. The length of your skiing holiday will have a lot to do with the destination that you choose. If you are only going for the weekend or a couple of days, you can find a remote and beautiful place to go to for your family skiing holiday. If your trip is short, your focus will be on skiing, and it won’t matter if there are not very many amenities or family things to do. The other attractions that might be in the area won’t be as important as the family ski resort itself. You want to choose a ski resort that will allow you to do as much skiing as possible in the short time you have for your holiday.

If your skiing holiday is going to be longer than a few days, the location and amenities of the place that you choose for these skiing holidays are both very important. When you are going to take a ski holiday that lasts longer than just a few days, the other things that you can find to do become much more vital to you. For a long trip, you will need other things to do, no matter how much you love skiing. You will need to make sure that you choose skiing holidays at places that have restaurants, shopping districts, entertainment, and other activities. These will allow you to take a break from skiing, and make your skiing holidays more enjoyable overall.

The ages of the people going on your skiing holidays are also very important. If you are going on skiing holidays with your children, you need to choose places that have ski lessons for children, and fun activities for them as well. With your children along, you also want to research the safety of the ski resort even more thoroughly than you otherwise would. Remember again, that with children, you are going to want to pick your skiing holiday locations where there are lots of things for them to do besides skiing.

Getting There

Once you have chosen a place for your skiing holidays, you have to decide on the best way to get there. The travel that is involved often costs more than the actual skiing. However, there are many deals on flights and packages to various destinations for skiing holidays, if you know where to look. If you can save money on airline flights, you will have more money to spend on your skiing holidays.

The accommodation that you choose is also an important part of planning skiing holidays. Whether you stay on the actual site of the family resort, or somewhere near the slopes, you want to be able to get there easily each day to ski. Remember, if you are staying at the place where you are skiing, it might be more expensive. However, your ski slope fees will usually be included. If you find an accommodation that is much cheaper than the resort, but where skiing is nearby, you might find this to be less expensive, but you probably will have to pay for the ski slope fees.

There are other things to consider as you plan your skiing holidays. Things like rail services that can get you to your destination, and whether or not you want to do a car hire are all decisions that you have to make before you leave on your trip. You will find that if you take the time to plan your skiing holidays before you go, you will be able to relax and enjoy them much more.

Skiing Holidays Tel: 08700 490002 or +44 (0)1780 484824 Mon – Fri 9am – 5pm or Sat – Sun 10am – 4pm or visit or for general business travel inquiries visit http://www.jigsawconferences.co.uk/travel

Our staff are multilingual and very friendly with many years of experience.

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