Functional Fit: Exercises for Skiing

{Jess and me - Big Sky 2012}

By LL

As Jess and I (and our husbands) prepare for our annual ski trip, I have begun to worry about how crippled I will be after my first day out in the powder of Big Sky. Normally, my husband and I would have spent a few days at a local "hill" to give our muscles a chance to be conditioned. Unfortunately, with us not living near good ski hills and having a mild winter where the one ski hill in the state hasn't been open more than a few days, I realized that I needed to resort to another form of conditioning. That is when I stumbled across these exercises to help tone the lower body for skiing.

Fitness Magazine's Winter Workout provides 10 exercises to tone abs and lower body. They are easy to do and quick to add to your current cardio routine.

We all know that even with the most extensive fitness routine (running 10+ miles/day; taking 60 min spin classes 4 times/week, etc.), getting out and doing something completely different can be a killer. At least these exercises help to specifically target the muscles that we use in winter sports. And these come with a certification...at least my husband's. He was an alpine ski racer up through college and says that they used many similar exercises in their dry practices.

Featured Fit: 27 No-Equipment Exercises for Home

By: LL in KC

As a follow up to my recent post about 15 Minutes to Great Abs, I wanted to share a few other exercises that I came across through Fitbie on MSN.com.

With the cold setting in recently, I have not been brave enough to run outside (negative temps - hell no!). So, I have been taking full advantage of our new elliptical. (Read about my search for the right elliptical here.) But an elliptical is only part of the workout. I try to add a variety of toning exercises at the end of my cardio routine on the elliptical (currently, that is 30-50 minutes).

After a few days of testing, I wanted to recommend to all of you these exercises: 27 No Equipment Exercises. From pushups to reverse lunges to jump squats, these exercises are perfect to add to the end of a short run or after a cardio class. They are similar to some of the exercises that you will experience in a yoga sculpt class.

Try them out. Maybe add them after your 15 minute abdominal workout (as provided above).

Featured Fit: 15-Minutes to Great Abs

By: LL
I am always looking for ways to maximize my workout without adding any additional time. Trust me, my 4:45 a.m. workouts are time limited, meaning I will not get up any earlier to get in a longer workout. It just isn't happening when it is dark and cold outside. Sometimes it can be a struggle to get in a full hour of cardio along with a toning workout. So imagine my excitement when I came across this workout routine through Fitbie and the editors of Women's Health.

15-Minute Workout: Stand Up for Flat Abs

This link provides you with four abdominal exercises to do standing up. Why standing up? As the article explains, traditional crunches done on the floor limit your range of motion. Using a dumbbell, approximately 5-10 lbs, these exercises are simple and easy. I have added this 15-minute workout to the end of my cardio routine and must say that even though I cannot see a change yet (it has only been two weeks), I can definitely feel a change. After the first day, I was already feeling my obliques.

Try this out, especially as we near Spring Break (for some people) and more opportunities to wear a swimsuit.