The Black Diamond

Nutrition is an essential for life, not just winter sports. By combining a healthy diet and lifestyle, you can enjoy skiing even more. Being in a healthy physical condition will enable you to improve motor skils more rapidly than one who does not eat right. Exersizing at home keeps you in tip-top shape, so you'll be prepared to ski once the snow starts to fall. Follow the general nutritional guidelines below. They are the very basis of a healthy diet, which is essential to skiers of all abilities.

As a general guideline, eat three meals a day. Snacking is acceptable as long as you stick to foods with nutritional value and not just empty calories.

Before skiing eat plenty of carbohydrates. They are plentiful in foods such as grains, pasta, cereal, breads, potatoes, and fresh fruit. Complex carbohydraits provide fuel for your body's cells to work.

In addition, be sure to drink plenty of fluids before engaging in any phycical activity. It is especially important to "tank up" before skiing because the cold weather can often lead to dehydration if proper fluids are not taken in.

Avoid foods high in fat (saturated), foods that list various forms of sugar as the first five ingredients on the label, foods with high cholesterol levels, and foods made primarily of empty calories.

Vary your diet so you aren't eating the same thing for each and every meal. Some fats and calories are alright, just as long as they are used in moderation. Try to achieve a balance with poultry, meat, fish, grains, fresh vegetables, and dairy products each having a part in your diet.

Good Ol' Running	Jumping Jacks
When it comes to getting and keeping your heart rate up, nothing is better than an old fashioned run. After stretching, start off slow and run at a good pace you can maintain, not a short-lived sprint. Run for at least a 1/2 hour, and continue if you are physically able. Afterwards, don't forget to slow it down to a jog (known as a "cool down" pace) and of course, stretch. Stretching helps prevent sore muscles the next time you run. As an extra challenge, try running up and down hills in your area. Practicing on hills also improves balance, a skill essential for skiers. IF the wwather is inappropriate, run in place inside your home.	Stand where you can extend your arms and not worry about hitting anything. Start in a regular standing position, then jump, and while in the air, extend your legs and arms out. Keep them extended, and once you land on the ground, immediately jump up and return to the original position in mid air. Continue until you have done 40, at which time you shold take a short rest, then do tow more "sets" of 40 jumping jacks. This exersize may sound silly, but you'd be suprises how quickly you begin to sweat. To see the difference, take your pulse rate before and after the exersize and compare the two. Your pulse can be found by either on your wrist or juggler vein, which is located on your neck (use your index and middle finger, but not your thumb - it has a pulse of it's own).

Good Ol' Running

Jumping Jacks

When it comes to getting and keeping your heart rate up, nothing is better than an old fashioned run. After stretching, start off slow and run at a good pace you can maintain, not a short-lived sprint. Run for at least a 1/2 hour, and continue if you are physically able. Afterwards, don't forget to slow it down to a jog (known as a "cool down" pace) and of course, stretch. Stretching helps prevent sore muscles the next time you run. As an extra challenge, try running up and down hills in your area. Practicing on hills also improves balance, a skill essential for skiers. IF the wwather is inappropriate, run in place inside your home.

Stand where you can extend your arms and not worry about hitting anything. Start in a regular standing position, then jump, and while in the air, extend your legs and arms out. Keep them extended, and once you land on the ground, immediately jump up and return to the original position in mid air. Continue until you have done 40, at which time you shold take a short rest, then do tow more "sets" of 40 jumping jacks. This exersize may sound silly, but you'd be suprises how quickly you begin to sweat. To see the difference, take your pulse rate before and after the exersize and compare the two. Your pulse can be found by either on your wrist or juggler vein, which is located on your neck (use your index and middle finger, but not your thumb - it has a pulse of it's own).

Touching Toes	Lunges
Sit on the ground with your legs extended and togather. Point your toes up and reach for them with your hands while keeping your legs fully extended. Try not to bounce, as this may cause torn ligaments as time progresses. To add a new twist, try the same thing while standing, just be sure to keep your knees straight.	Get down on all fours, extend one leg back and keep your knee straight. Pull the other leg foreward ("mountain climber" position). Stretch your hamstring and achillies heel, holding each position for at least 10 seconds. Alternate legs.

The Imaginary Chair	Push-ups
Skiing demands strong leg muscles above anything else. Find a smooth wall and stand one foot away from it. Now lower yourself like you'd sit in a chair, leaning against the wall for support. Try to bring your knee into a 90 degree angle, just as it would be if you actually sitting in a chair. Hold that position for as long as you can, paying attention to maintaining the proper form. Do this every day, and you'll slowly but surely strengthen leg and back muscles.	Most of you have probably already heard of this one, but it remains one of the simplest and best exersizes for strengthening arm muscles. Just lay on your stomach and push your body up with your arms, making sure that the only points of contact with the ground are your hands and toes. Keep your whole body straingt and stiff to maximize benefits. For girls, if you can't do a regular push-up, you may also let your knee and lower leg touch the ground, keeping the rest of your body straight.

The Imaginary Chair

Push-ups

Skiing demands strong leg muscles above anything else. Find a smooth wall and stand one foot away from it. Now lower yourself like you'd sit in a chair, leaning against the wall for support. Try to bring your knee into a 90 degree angle, just as it would be if you actually sitting in a chair. Hold that position for as long as you can, paying attention to maintaining the proper form. Do this every day, and you'll slowly but surely strengthen leg and back muscles.

Most of you have probably already heard of this one, but it remains one of the simplest and best exersizes for strengthening arm muscles. Just lay on your stomach and push your body up with your arms, making sure that the only points of contact with the ground are your hands and toes. Keep your whole body straingt and stiff to maximize benefits. For girls, if you can't do a regular push-up, you may also let your knee and lower leg touch the ground, keeping the rest of your body straight.

In addition to these exersizes, your doctor can also recommend ones that can help in the areas you require the most conditioning in. And just in case you wanted to know the official latin names for the muscles we were describing, Click Here for a detailed diagram of your body's muscles. Feel free to print it up and keep it on hand to help in describing certain muscles to your firends.