Summer can be a tough time for skiers and snowboarders alike. With the slopes dry it can feel like there’s little to nothing to do. You could hop on a plane and head to the southern hemisphere, but that can be difficult and expensive when you’re working a 9-5 job that only provides two days off eery weekend. But those who hope to hit the slopes running need to stay in ski shape summer if they hope to perform and prevent injuries. We asked our followers to share their favorite activities to stay in ski shape during the summer, and there answers might surprise you.
Why You Should Stay in Ski Shape During Summer
We all know the person who waits until the season has started to get in shape for skiing or snowboarding. That’s not a terrible way to look at it. If skiing is what you enjoy, why do anything else? But how many times have you finally felt in shape just as the ski season is coming to an end?
There’s also the issue of injury prevention. If you want to shred hard with a lower risk of injury, you need to get strong and stay in shape. If you’re new to working out, or if it’s been a while since you have, going all in can quickly lead to knee injuries, ankle injuries, back injuries, and more. So don’t spend your summer sitting by the pool or the beach.
The Top 5 Summer Activities to Get Ski-Ready According to Our Readers
1. Biking/Cycling (22 Mentions)
- 22 people responded with some form of biking/cycling, whether indoor on a Peloton trainer, outside on a mountain bike, or outside on a road bike. Cycling is both low impact and a good muscle workout, allowing you to keep your strength and stamina up while limiting risk of injuries (unless your mountain biking hard, then you’re plenty injury prone).
2. Hiking (17 Mentions)
- 17 of our followers mentioned hiking. The mental health benefits alone from hiking make it worth the time. Spending time outside can reduces stress, calm anxiety, and lead to a lower risk of depression. Of course it’s the physcal benefits that matter the most for staying in ski shape during the summer, and hiking comes with plenty. It’s good for building and maintaining muscle, improving your balance, improving your heart health, and more.
3. Gym/Strength Training (8 Mentions)
- If you really want to target and build the muscles you need for skiing and snowboarding, the best way to do so is almost certainly by heading to the gym. Squats, lunges, hip rolls, ski jumps, core exercises, and more will all help ensure that you’re muscles are as strong as they can be when the snow returns. Don’t forget to mix in some cardio, though, or those moguls might get difficult fast.
4. Pickleball (4 Mentions)
- If you’re looking for a fairly low impact way to stay in ski shape during the summer while having a great time competing with and against friends and family, pickleball could be your answer. Pickleball can help improve your balance and flexibility while maintaining healthy bones, joints and muscles.
5. Swimming (4 Mentions)
- As a low impact, full body workout, swimming is a great way to build muscle, burn calories, and strengthen your lungs all while keeping your risk of injury during the summer incredibly low. You can just swim laps or look into some more intense HIIT routines. Whatever the case, swimming is a great way to stay in ski shape during the summer.
Putting it All Together: Staying In Ski Shape During The Summer
Unless you’re a professional or heavy into competition, skiing is primarily about having fun, so why can’t your summer activity be the same? Ideally you find something that you enjoy and keep doing it, whether that’s stand-up paddleboarding, swimming, skateboarding, running, or something else. Just know that if you want to hit the ground running when the ski season starts up again, you’re best bet is to stay in ski shape throughout the summer.
