Outdoor winter sports - and how you can train for them at the club

Outdoor winter sports are here! If you’re one of the many people who appreciate the crisp, rejuvenating feel of the winter cold, then you probably enjoy one or more outdoor activities during winter months. Winter sports are an invigorating way to stay in shape, physically and emotionally. Nothing helps you feel more alive than the great outdoors on a sunny, cold day!

Types of Winter Sports

If you are not currently active in or are new to the many cold-weather activities available, here are some of the winter sports that you can enjoy:

Ice – curling, figure skating, ice hockey, ice skating, speed skating

Sledding – Bobsledding, luge, or skeleton (single-person) tobogganing

Snow – cross country skiing, downhill skiing, sledding, snowboarding, snow kiting, snow skating

Outdoor winter sports - and how you can train for them at the club

Whether you are surfing in Hawaii or snow skiing in Switzerland, you need to maintain a level of healthy cardiovascular fitness for seasonal sports. Most outdoor winter sports accidents occur in the afternoon, when participants are experiencing some level of fatigue and loss of concentration, so indoor training helps you stay fit but also increases your stamina. Here are some indoor training ideas to keep you in good shape for this season’s winter activities:

Indoor Cycling

Methodology, not a spinning speed, is the foundation of indoor cycling. Hold your intensity at a level that builds aerobic capacity and pushes your cardiovascular system to handle the training. In addition to enhancing your cardiovascular fitness, indoor cycling increases your muscular endurance and lowers stress levels.

Strength Exercises

Two good strength exercises are the single-leg balance lunge and single-leg bench squat:

Balance lunge – It’s difficult for some professional athletes to maintain balance during this one, so don’t be dismayed if you have difficulty: Stand with your legs about hip width apart and separated front-to-back about 6". (If you widen your stance, it will be easier.) Slowly bend the front knee and lower yourself toward the floor. Alternate legs and repeat.

Bench squat – Facing forward, stand in front of a bench as if sitting down. Lift your leg and carefully lower your body to the bench without sitting. Stand up and repeat 8-10 times. To make the exercise more difficult, place a weight in each hand. To make it a bit easier, sit on a bench and lift one leg toward your chin. Lower your foot then stand upright and repeat, alternating legs.

Dynamic Stretching

Another strength exercise, dynamic stretching is completing and repeating the stretching exercise without holding it. This is a good exercise before any workout or sport.

Holistic Wellness 

Ask your Holmes Place professional about the types of aerobic and anaerobic training exercises that are specifically designed to enhance your stamina when participating in winter sports. At Holmes Place, We continue to reinforce the concept of total body and mind wellness through nutrition, exercise, and relaxation. Let us show you the way to a better balance between home, work, and relationships.

Wondering what are our best classes to master your favourite winter olympic sport?