Now we face a new season with different activities to keep us busy. My golf clubs, I’m sad to say, have been just about put away (translation: on the living room floor by the front door where they can be easily grabbed on the way to the course). So what do I do now? Well, I’ll keep training, for starters. My limited time on the slopes (I try to avoid survival-driven activities) will require all of the flexibility, range of motion, strength and balance I’ve been working so hard to develop and maintain.
Shifting gears from one to the other isn’t all that tricky. When you swing a golf club you interact with the ground through your feet and more dynamically through your upper body, extremities and that silly little ball. On the slopes, it’s just the other way around. Your legs are doing more of the work while your upper body acts as more of the stabilizing foundation (a golfer without arms faces a very similar challenge to the skier without legs).
This is why I encourage you to check out Switch’s website (www.themaineswitch.com), dig into the archives and read up on the past 13 articles. It’ll do your skiing body good! Then you can try out #14, the Lunge with Rotation.
Throw a broom handle over your shoulders and take a long step forward with your left foot. As you lower your right knee to the ground (without touching), rotate your right arm over your left knee, keeping the broom handle level and your upper body upright. Think about 90? angles at your knees and hips. Step forward onto your left foot, swing your right foot through and repeat for at least 20 lunges.
If you need me, I’ll be in the lodge by the fire!
Jon Frothingham is a NASM-CPT certified personal trainer at Natural Fitness in Falmouth. To learn more about personal training contact him at 781-3900 or visit www.naturalfitnessme.com. Tune in in three weeks when Natural Fitness trainer Adam Tielinen BS, CSCS comes on board to take you through ski season.