If you’re like the rest of us, the British heatwave has sapped all your energy to ensure that you’re now at your happiest when lying in a cold bath/stuck in an air conditioning vent/moving into your freezer. But we’re now less than 5 months before another joyous Ski Season starts, with the experts advising aerobic exercises to be kept up with over the Summer months. The idea of swallowing various insects on an exhausting jog is hardly appealing though in this sweltering heat, so we have come up with some fun alternatives to keep the heart rate going…
Cycling: Hands up who’s been watching the Tour de France? No? Cycling is not only the best way to maintain your ski fitness but also provides a homemade wind machine, perfect for these muggy days. It helps to strengthen the stabilizer muscles around your knees and ankles, enhance coordination and endurance levels and help build strength that will directly translate to skiing.
We’re not holding out that much hope for Boris and his London cycle scheme just yet (the “no cost to the taxpayer” element seems to have amounted to £114.3m). So, in the meantime, avoid government promises and buy a bike and kit from Going Going Bike – an auction site for all things bike-related. You can also sell your cycle wares and upgrade to a new one all in the same day!
Pilates: Lower back pain will affect 80% of the population at some point of their lives – often the culprit can be weak core muscles. Pilates is excellent for building your core strength giving you better posture and helping to relieve back pain. It helps prevent injury by correcting muscle imbalance and can improve co-ordination and flexilbility.
[1].jpg "Reformer Pilates Studio in Fulham")
SW6 Pilates is a new Pilates studio based in Fulham offering both reformer classes and one-on-one training. The reformer consists of a wooden frame with a sliding platform on which you can lie, kneel and stand to perform the exercises (lying down for an hour to get a sleeker body…sign me up!). Your first class will be free but with Pilates becoming an important part of training for many athletes I think you may just continue.
Skiing: Now the best way to keep fit for skiing in the Summer is to ski in the Summer (we are a skiing company – you can’t blame us for trying). You could head to Zermatt for its glacier skiing and get a tan at the same time. But for real snow you need to head to the Southern Hemisphere…
Chile has not only got European quality ski resorts (substitute steak haché and a beer for ceviche and a Pisco Sour) but it is also home to an established world-quality Heli ski operation, Powder South. These guys offer 7 day heli skiing trips exploring the wild and frankly stunning Chilean Andes. You find yourself in places where nobody has ever been before, let alone skiied before, with miles of un-tracked powder all to yourself. Accommodation is in a supremely spoiling boutique family-run ‘hacienda’ where you can savour the delights of the delicious locally sourced food and wine (did I mention the lodge is in wine country), after a hard day of heli skiing discovery.
Maybe I shouldn’t complain about the heat and enjoy it whilst it lasts. Soon enough the ski season will be upon us and we’ll be grateful for all the hard work when we can ski that “one more run”…
