Get in shape for the slopes

By Daisy Carrington | dcarrington@am-ny.com

January 16, 2008

Mark Santa Maria demonstrates the Core Hold Up at Crunch Gym. (Dave Sanders / January 15, 2008)

For those who enjoy exercising in the cold (a combination that continues to elude me), the season is ripe for a little slope action.

Before you start booking your winter vacation, however, you might want to beef up your body a little. According to Marc Santa Maria, an instructor at Crunch Fitness, the BOSU ball is an ideal way to train for the slopes.

"It creates instability, like how you feel on your skis or on your snowboard," he says.

Santa Maria has devised the following routine to help get you in the best shape for packing powder.

1. Long squat side touch
Stand in the center of a BOSU ball, dome-side up. Perform a squat while holding your hands in prayer position, and touch the right side of the BOSU with your fingers extending beyond your right food. Slowly stand back up into starting position. Repeat the squat on the left side. Complete 10 reps, alternating sides. This exercise helps build your balance.

2. Diagonal power slide
Stand in the center of a BOSU ball, dome-side up. Balancing on your left foot, bring your right leg back diagonally behind you so that it almost touches the floor. Slowly bring your right leg back into starting position, keeping your foot off the floor the entire time. Complete 20 reps, then alternate legs. This exercise is good for speed strengthening.

3. 180-degree squat jump
Stand in the center of a BOSU ball, dome-side up. Squat down and hold this position for five seconds, then jump into the air and turn your body 180 degrees. Try to land on the BOSU in a squat position. You should end up facing the opposite direction. Stay in the squat position for five more seconds, then jump 180 degrees again. Repeat this sequence for a total of 10 jumps. This exercise helps improve your turning skills.

4. Core hold up
Place your back on the center of a BOSU ball, dome-side up. Extend your legs straight up into the air and flex your feet. Squeeze your inner thighs together so they are touching. Extend your arms into the air and bring your hands to your ankles. Do not hold your legs with your hands, but squeeze your core and steady your body on the BOSU for 15 seconds. Repeat three times, lengthening your body over the BOSU between each rep to extend your abdominal muscles. This exercise builds the muscles necessary for getting out of the snow.