getting in shape for telemark skiing

Question
Hi Cynthia,
I am an intermediate telemark skier. I am 47 and I walk (or hike) as my
primary exercise during the rest of the year. I work and have two children so
I tend to ski about once a week through the season.

I need a quick (even brutal!) get-in-shape routine to jump start me for the
season. (I tend to ski hard at the beginning of the season and have to hold on
to the walls to go downstairs or to sit on the toilet!) I would like to avoid that
this year.

Would you please give me a couple of exercises I could do at home to help
get me in shape?
Thank you,
Teresa

Answer
Dear Teresa --

If you have access to a stairwell, I recommend running stairs to get into shape rapidly.  I do intervals by running up the stairs, and my rest is walking back down.  As my wind increases, I wear a backpack with some additional weight in it to increase my power.

If you cannot do stairwell running, I recommend "bounds" where you hop rapidly back and forth over a box for two minutes and rest for one.  If you can work up to a session of bounds that equals the length of time it takes you to get down a slope, then you will have worked up the capacity for hard early season skiing.

If you add to the above routine lunges done no more than 3 times a week (I prefer every third day, so I get two days of muscle recovery) then you should have the leg muscle and the wind (aerobic capacity) to ski hard once or twice a week and not suffer quite as much early in the season.

If you can add some early season ice skating to your routine, you will re-energize your groin and glut muscles that you will also need for turn initiation and sustained telemark turns.

Finally, if you want a fun challenge, look into trying a kettlebell work out.  I especially recommend the alternating arm swing to build full body muscle strength, and wind simultaneously.  A good kettlebell workout can be done in about 20 minutes.

Good luck to you!