Skiing is all arms and legs, isn’t it? That’s what I used to think. To get in shape for the season, all I had to do was build up my leg muscles with running, biking and hiking. I might do some weight lifting for the arms or “Nordic walking” with poles, but that was about it. I didn’t focus on my core. No wonder, the strong double-polers beat me out at Nordic Meisters. I was fit, but not core-strong.
What is “core” and why is it important? According to the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA), the simple explanation is your core is “the torso area, which is roughly equivalent to the center of mass.” In a recent Union Leader article by Meghan McCarthy McPhaul, “Shape up for Ski Season” (Oct. 28. 2018), she interviews Jason Guilbert, Waterville Valley alpine racing coach. His definition is “core is basically from the chest to the knees and includes the back, which helps prevent injury as well.”
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