When you ski and snowboard your leg muscles are put to the test as your knees continuously bend and straighten with each turn made on your way down the hill. Also, when you carve those awesome turns your trunk muscles are called into play. Performing specific exercises, such as squats and crunches, for these body parts will help decrease the severity of that all too common “first of the season” abdominal and leg muscle soreness while also improving your strength and performance. You should also be sure to perform stretches for each body part and at least 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three times each week to improve your range of motion and endurance. Follow these tips and you will find that you will be ready to “tear it up” from day one of the upcoming snow season.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.