 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Fitness Page
This section has info about Burning Calories, Taking It Easy, Warming Up, Stretching, and a XC Ski Fitness Program.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Burning Calories
Condensed
from Suzanne Nottingham (from Winter Feels Good, SIA)
Here are some facts about burning calories courtesy of SIA and Suzanne
Nottingham. Actual calories burned will depend upon your weight (a heavier
person burns more calories per hour), how hard you are working, whether
the terrain is flat or hilly and other factors. Snowshoeing statistics
show that it provides more exercise than walking (light xc skiing) on
xc skis because when you are xc skiing downhill and sliding, you are
not working very much.
For example, a snowshoer at 130 pounds burns 472 calories per hour while a light xc skier burns 413 calories per hour. For the same amount of time, a xc ski racer that is 130 pounds will burn 826 calories.
Take It Easy
Always ease yourself into something new whether you're a first timer
or an experienced xc skier that is skiing for the first time this year.
Remember to start slow, stretch and warm up before you take off, allow
time for your body time to recover and keep the pain relievers within
reach so you don't wake up tomorrow feeling too sore to move.
How hard should you go? Let your pulse be your guide, whereby your heart should beat faster than normal but not so fast that you're unable to talk.
Warming Up
Start
the day with a hot shower and take a good 10-minute stretch immediately
following the shower. Warming up is a preventive measure involving gradual
preparation of the muscles, joints, lungs, heart and nervous system.
It should result in improved strength, speed and coordination of muscle
contractions, enhanced communication from your brain, and sensory feedback
from your muscles, joints and tendons leading to better balance.
Warming up also increases body heat and that temperature increase brings higher muscle temperatures and stimulates lubrication of the joints. The heart's capacity to pump oxygenated blood into the working muscles accelerates. As the muscles begin to work, it takes several more minutes to expedite oxidative energy sources for muscular effort to continue. The burn caused by lactic acid buildup decreases and early fatigue can be less of a problem because the warm up delivers more oxygenated blood to the working muscles sooner. The warmed up nervous system will provide quicker reaction and response time. This is useful when you're faced with a surprising bump, stump or sharp turn in the downhill trail.
Why is the warm up so important? Besides the information above, consider that strained muscles, back spasms, and microscopic tears in connective tissues are just a few of the injury possibilities in the first hour of activity on the snow. If you warm up first, the energy sources are already working by the time you take your first steps up the trail.
The best warm-ups last 10-15 minutes (longer if you're older than 30) and you'll know you are warm if you feel light perspiration on your forehead, notice an increased heart rate or in general, feel literally warmer.
The warmup has four phases:
* Balance work with several seconds to simply stand and balance on one
foot. Feel the weight falling over to support one leg/foot and then
the other. This will help your body make balance adjustments.
* Do limbering small isolated movements to loosen up the ankles, knees,
hips, lower back and shoulders. Do side reaches, arm circles, shoulder
shrugs, leg swings, trunk twists, pelvic rotations and half squats.
Practice the skills that you'll use in xc skiing or snowshoeing such
as edging, flexing and pushing of imaginary skis or poles.
* Improve the accuracy, timing and coordination of skills by rehearsing
a couple of short warmup jaunts on flat or gentle terrain. Relax and
smile!
* Stop and stretch only after you warmup.
Stretching
Warming
up involves muscular contraction while stretching involves relaxing
and lengthening the muscles. The result is flexibility which equips
you with mobility to move freely in a variety of directions by developing
elasticity in the muscles and range of motion within the joints.
Stretch by feel, not by force. You can feel a stretch when you notice a tingling sensation in the affected muscle(s). Stretching over a period of time will increase your muscles' resting length.
If you feel pain (behind your knee for example) then back off the stretch. Instead, move very slowly into your stretches, feel for that sensation, breathe into your stretches and don't bounce. Hold the stretches for at least 15 seconds or as long as possible. Include stretches for the back and front of the thighs, hip flexors, buttocks, shins, calves and ankles. Also the chest, back, shoulders, lower back, back of arms and wrists.
Some example of stretches:
* Arms, shoulders and upper back - Interlace your fingers above your
head, turn your palms up and push your arms slightly back and up.
* Quadriceps - Sit on the floor leaning back on your hands, legs straight.
Pull in your right leg so the sole of your foot rests against your left
knee, Bend your left leg and pull the foot back, sole up. Reverse legs
and repeat.
* Lower back - Lie on your back with your legs outstretched. Lift and
bend your left knee, grasp it with both hands, pull it toward your chest,
Repeat with your right leg.
* Hamstring - Sit on the floor with your legs straight and spread apart,
Touch your left foot with your hands. Repeat on the right.
A recommended book on stretching that has complete routines specific for xc skiing is written by Bruce Anderson.
XC Ski Fitness Program
Jackson Hole Nordic Center in Jackson, WY offers fitness xc ski programs
on three levels including an introduction for people, who want to maintain
fitness while on vacation, a recreation center long term program for
locals getting into shape and a program for the highly motivated performance-oriented
aerobically fit people. The programs begin with two base work days and
one day of intervals work. In the first week, a skier will work out
(xc ski) two times for one hour each per week and increase in the third
week to three times per week. The interval work would be skiing hard
for two times each day for 5-minute periods. The interval work increases
to 5 times for 5 minutes with 3-minute breaks and 20-minute warm down
periods. The objective is to increase the distance skiing and the distance
of the amount of distances traveled during the intervals. For more info
about fitness and race training contact a xc ski resort instructor at
a nearby xc ski area.
For info on ski walk as a fitness regimen, check XCSkiResorts.com Action Page article at Get Ready - SkiWalking by Pete Edwards and www.skiwalking.com
