During the summer months, I get enough cardiovascular exercise through biking and hiking so getting ready for ski season for me is all about flexibility and injury prevention – and yoga and dynamic movement are perfect for that. For Yoga, simple flows (Sun A’s and Sun B’s) offer tons of possibility for customization such as holding poses to get a deeper stretch or adding in chaturangas build strength. As for Dynamic movement, try planks with shoulder taps, lateral jumps with a 180⁰ turn, skater jumps and single leg jumps / bounces. All of these exercises help strengthen the tiny muscles in your shoulders, knees and core that are so important to skiing and snowboarding.

Chris:

I ride snow with: Snowboard, Jones Mountain Twin 163

Favorite terrain: Untouched powder in bowls

Biking – As the colder weather arrives, I lean on gravel / road biking to keep my legs from becoming Jello the first day out on the snowboard. I have some family in Denver, so if a wintery mix arrives before the resorts open, I am known to go down there for a good weekend ride.

Rachel:

I ride snow with: Snowboard, Never Summer 151

Favorite terrain: Powder, always! Nothing beats Wanderlust on a good powder day.

I like to focus on strength and cardio training at the gym. The Breck Rec Center offers an array of fabulous classes for all sorts of conditioning. My favorite class is Power, which blends weightlifting with cardio, balance exercises, and core training. This has helped me strengthen the major muscle groups, in addition to the smaller muscles that aid in precision while on the mountain. I also do HIIT workouts on the Stairmaster 2-3 times a week which is key for strengthening my legs, and I run 3-5 miles at an incline once a week to build my endurance. Additionally, my husband and I go for a one-hour hike with our Bernese Mountain Dog every evening which helps maintain overall good physical fitness.

Laurel:

I ride snow with: Never Summer snowboard for resort riding and Salomon splitboard in the backcountry

Favorite terrain: Backcountry powder and fresh morning groomers!

I stay active in the summer months with weightlifting, trail running and hiking. Single-leg exercises really help activate stabilizing muscles and lifting heavy weights helps to keep my legs strong for powder days.

Emmily:

I ride snow with: Ride Warpig, Jones Solution Splitboard, Salomon QST skis

Favorite terrain: Bowls, whiteout conditions

This fall is for golfing. I’ve accepted my fate of my legs hurting for the first two weeks of winter. But I do love to play on the revolution balance board!

Hannah:

I ride snow with: All Mountain Skis

Favorite terrain: The soft fluffy stuff

I like to focus on staying active year-round with a mix of strength training a few times a week, yoga, and stretching. In the summer, I regularly bike and hike which also helps my endurance and strength. It still takes a couple of weeks to fully get into a good rhythm once the season starts, but staying active helps me hit the slopes feeling stronger.