How to get fit for skiing at home

Your legs decide your trip

Skiing holds your legs in a bent-knee position for minutes at a time, a position most legs never hold in day-to-day life. That’s why thighs burn by lunchtime on day two, and why so many people spend the afternoon in the café. You paid for the whole week, and tired legs take the afternoons away.

What is pre-ski conditioning?

Pre-ski conditioning is training your body for skiing before the trip. Three things matter most: legs that hold a bent knee, balance on one leg, and the stamina to go again after lunch.

Wall sits, squats and holds build the first, built up week by week. Single-leg work builds the second, because almost everything that goes wrong on a slope goes wrong on one leg.

When to start

Start at least six weeks before you go, and earlier if you are starting from low fitness. Six weeks of around three sessions a week changes how your legs feel on day three of the holiday, which is where most people fall apart.

Do you need a gym?

No. Every ski exercise works with your own bodyweight in the space you already have at home. Nothing to buy, no gym membership, no kit.

What a week looks like

With PRE-SKI it is typically four sessions: three physical, plus one Mind Ready mental session. Each physical session takes about 30 minutes, warm-up included, and you pick the days and the time of day that suit you.

Where to start

If you haven’t exercised in a while, start with Foundation, the 4-week pre-fitness course, then the 8-week Preparation programme. Foundation and Preparation together are £59. Already fit? Progression is the advanced course: a tougher 8 weeks for people who are already fit.

Sam Martin, Level 3 ski instructor, coaches every PRE-SKI exercise on video.