If you are a regular reader of the blog you might have read my article on the busy mummies guide to running a marathon. In all honesty, how a busy mummy prepares for a skiing trip isn’t all that different.

Like many things, you will be able to find a number of lists of tips and training schedules on the internet with what you SHOULD do prior to a skiing trip. These might include:

• Exercising your Quadriceps – probably the most used muscle group in skiing, good exercises for the quadriceps include squats and lunges
• Exercising your Hamstrings and Glutes – when skiing you can spend a lot of time leaning forward from the hips, hamstrings and glutes help stabilise your body, so deadlifts, step ups and hamstring rolls can all help
• Exercising your Inner and Outer thighs – your inner thighs work like mad to keep your skis together, whilst your outer thighs keep your body stable and help you steer, so  side lunges, inner and outer pushes on the abductor and adductor machines in the gym, and sliding side lunges using discs are all fantastic
• Exercising your Calves – your knees are bent as you ski, your calves help you stay upright so you don’t fall over (although your boots help too!), seated or standing calf raises can help this
• Exercising your Abs and Back – as you’re in a flexed, bent over position when you ski, your back has to work really hard to hold your body in that position, working on your core muscles with exercises like crunches and back extensions can help
• Exercising your Arms – your arms help you push off with your poles and when you come to a flat area of piste they work especially hard, working your biceps and triceps can help build strength for this

As much as it would be wonderful to spend the eight weeks prior to your family ski trip in the gym getting into optimal condition for the slopes, when you have a family that just isn’t feasible.

That doesn’t mean we do nothing, it just means we have to do things slightly differently, in between the other things we have to get done in a day.

• Squats can be done whilst ironing or whilst wearing a baby carrier
• Lunges can be done with the vacuum
• Step ups can be done on the stairs whilst waiting for children to go to sleep
• Sliding lunges can be done on a laminate/wooden/tiled floor with socks on
• Standing calf raises can be done whilst cooking
• Crunches and back extensions can be done with the children sat on you
• Arms should be no problem as us mummies are used to carrying children and being loaded like pack horses

So there you have it….the busy mummies guide to ski preparation!

Happy skiing!