7 Off Season Activities for Skiers

Here at SkiGulmarg.com we firmly belief that the end of the season doesn´t have to mean the end of the fun, although it may be true that “Distance makes the heart grow fonder” as they say, there is nothing wrong in partaking on different activities while waiting to come back to Gulmarg for a fun week of skiing. So we´ve compiled a short list of sports and activities you can do during the offseason.

CrossFit

CrossFit focuses on compound movements with a functional focus, this means exercises that translates into better performance on daily tasks, and for a skier who must be able to endure harsh weather, uneven terrain and constant surprises there is nothing better. Sure; CrossFit has gotten a bit of bad rap as a sport for “douchy guys” but the results cannot be denied.

Leg Focused Routines

If CrossFit is not your thing then maybe join a regular gym and truly focus on strengthening your legs and kness, you may do 20-30 minutes of cardio including five 1 menute sets of Heisman jumps, followed by 4 sets of regular squats, 4 sets of overhead dumbbell squats and perhaps some pistol squats (only assisted if regulars are too hard) will increase your stamina and help you improve your balance, as well as give you some killer quads.

Rollerblading

Rollerblading may seem like a thing from the past but it actually has a pretty active community nowadays, people go rollerblading at discos, indoor pistes or even on the beachside in Miami and California. Given that it requires great balance, strong knees and similar body stance it is somewhat similar to skiing, so it can be a fun way to keep your muscles and joints oiled up till the next powderland expedition.

(Sup) Yoga

Yoga, to the surprise of many, is quite a demanding activity, it requires a lot of balance and strength to maintain the positions and transition seamlessly from one to the next. Among the benefits of Yoga you will find improved cardio condition, better muscular tone, stronger ligaments and tendons as well as improved balance. All of which are essential for a skier.

If you want to take it up a notch you may even try sup yoga, the term comes from the phrase Standing Up Paddle and is just like normal yoga but performed on a surfboard, on water, adding an additional level of control not to fall over.

Hiking

Hiking is quite go0d for skiers and people in general, it helps strengthen the bones, tendons and cardiovascular endurance, it is especially good for skiers if the trails take them to moderately high altitudes, as the reduced oxygen conditions might help prepare them or keep them in shape to face the skiing slopes, most of which are over 2500 meters above sea level.

The advantage is that almost everyone in the world lives close to a mountain they can hike and hiking events are highly popular so you will surely have some company or even competition, to keep things interesting.

Biking

Perhaps hiking to high altitudes or doing yoga on a surfboard aren´t your thing, perhaps rollerblading doesn´t agree with you, in that case you can always go biking, this exercise is amazing to develop everything from cardio endurance to core strength, not to mention the sightseeing if you choose to go off road and the fact that many cities around the world offer free biking tours, loaning you a bicycle if you don´t have one yet.

Sand Skiing

Using sand to Ski or Snowboard is becoming more and more popular, particularly given that sand doesn't care for seasons; a sandy dune is always going to be there, whether on winter or fall, and skiers are taking advantage of that. Peru is the number one destination to go sand skiing, and the price is much lower than anything you could find in a European resort, take a look at this package for example.

So if you´re such an extreme powder addict who can´t wait till the next season to dole your boots and skis, then take a shot at sand skiing.

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