Snowboarding and skiing work nearly every part of your lower body, from your rear and quads, all the way down your hamstrings and calves to your ankles, which undergo a lot of stress strapped into the bindings of a board or skis.

Even your upper body strength gets a workout, especially for beginners because they are continually having to prop themselves up again after a fall. Upper body strength also helps more advanced riders perform tricks and take slams in the park.

That stress takes a toll on your body, and the better shape you’re in, the more fun you’ll have on the slopes. Why then, do some skiers spend more time at the pro shop picking out their outfit than physically preparing for a long day down the triple black diamonds? Without a well-planned exercise regimen, you’re going to quickly find your sore spots and wonder why you spent $60 on lift ticket just to ride the bunny slopes.

“I always tell my students ‘Snowboarding is a year-round sport. What you do in the off-season affects how you ride in the winter,” said German snowboarding Gold Medalist Nicola Thost, who runs several camps in Europe and the United States. “Maintaining a healthy diet and having a regular strength-training and cardio routine will make a big difference when it begins to snow.”

YOUR CORE

Like most other activities, maintaining a powerful interior core-strength is one of the most important aspects of snow sports. Snowboarding and skiing are akin to endurance sports, where targeted body parts undergo a low-impact continual workout over the course of a full day. Maintaining that full muscle strength in the hips, legs and torso is key to high-performance. Building strength in the legs lets you ride longer without getting tired and helps avoid knee injuries, the stronger you are, the less likely you are to get hurt.

For Thost, that means a three-day per week gym routine, alternating between lower body, upper body and abdominals. Like most strength training routines, Thost rests one day between each gym session to allow muscles to recover.

The most basic workout routine that covers shoulders, chests, arms and abdominals are usually sufficient to cover your upper half, but ski and snowboard trainer Jonathan Ware recommends a combination of leg exercises and cardio activities to jumpstart your legs.

“The feet and calves can get a real workout as well. I would recommend both seated and standing calf raises to be incorporated into the lower body workout,” he said. “As for aerobics, I would put a bit more emphasis on stair climbs and add jumping rope. Jumping rope will more closely simulate the burn your feet and calves will get on the slopes and get your brain accustomed to getting past the pain.”

Focusing on your legs, even just a few weeks before you head out for your ski trip can make a huge difference. Thost recommends doing two to three sets of leg work every week about a month before you plan to hit the slopes.

BALANCING IT ALL OUT

All boarders and skiers are going to have their share of scrapes and scratches, but there are many things they can do to help themselves stay upright longer.

Probably one of best ways to maintain year-long balance is to take up skateboarding, surfing or any other board sport during the summer months. Newcomers should also look at a practicing on an Indo Board, a small balance device that can be purchased at most ski and skate shops. Riders on a budget can make their own using an old skateboard deck and a 2-liter bottle full of water centered beneath it.