Fit and ready for the trails: getting the best start to the cross-country skiing season
Content-Team SWICA
Cross-country skiing is popular at the moment, and more and more people are taking it up every year. That is hardly a surprise, given all the health benefits it offers. Cross-country skiing activates fat burning, stimulates your metabolism and strengthens your immune system. As far as skiing goes, it is considered to be quite gentle on your joints, as the risk of injury on the trail is much lower. The equipment and cross-country passes also tend to be cheaper than for skiing or snowboarding.
Well prepared for the trail
Proper preparation not only boosts your performance, but also ensures more fun and safety on the trail. Almost all of your body’s muscle groups are challenged during cross-country skiing. It is worth your time to strengthen your arm, leg and core muscles by performing targeted exercises so that you can gradually prepare your body for what lies ahead.
How to strengthen your arm, leg and core muscles
We recommend using a resistance band for this type of exercise. A resistance band is a simple, elastic piece of material you can use to perform the following exercises, for example:
Hold one end of the resistance band in each hand and stand on the middle of the band with your feet about hip width apart. Now, pull the ends up with both arms. The band provides some resistance.
This exercise targets the upper arms and upper back.
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Knot the band to make a ring and wrap it around your legs, slightly above the ankles. Now, stretch one leg sideways as far as possible against the resistance of the band.
This exercise strengthens and activates the thighs and glutes, and is particularly beneficial for the skating technique used in skiing.
The best thing to do is start with a few repetitions and then gradually increase the number as you go along. It is important to only perform the exercises until you feel tired, and you should not feel any pain. A maximum of between 5 and 20 reps is normal.
Balance exercises
Apart from working out your arm, leg and core muscles, you also need to hone your sense of balance. Unlike traditional skis where the entire ski boot is firmly attached to the ski, classic cross-country skis have only the front part of the boot attached. At the gym, you are best off using an unstable platform – such as a BOSU ball or balance board – to train your balance.
Balance exercises can also be easily integrated into everyday activities. For example:
- Try to stand on one leg for as long as possible. A good time to do this is when you brush your teeth.
- If this is too easy for you, you can try it with your eyes closed.
- While looking straight ahead, you can try to walk an imaginary line. Do not look down!
- Stand on your toes and try to keep going for as long as possible.
Cross-country skiing is worth it
SWICA supports your preventive and health-promoting activities relating to exercise, nutrition and wellbeing. Because cross-country skiing keeps you mentally and physically fit, every year SWICA makes generous contributions towards the cost of your cross-country ski pass or local season ticket (learn more).For your health: santé24 and SWICA Benecura
Do you have a health question? Our physicians and healthcare professionals at santé24 are available 24/7 on +41 44 404 86 86 for SWICA customers. In addition to telephone health advice, patients whose conditions are appropriate for telemedicine can receive medical services such as diagnostics, treatment, and even e-prescriptions for prescription medications.
Do you feel ill? The SWICA Benecura medical app makes it easy to carry out a digital SymptomCheck. You will receive a personal recommendation about what to do next. Send your information in encrypted form to the santé24 online practice for your telephone consultation to significantly shorten the assessment.
