Fit for Winter Sports with Whole Body Vibration
Getting Fit for Winter Sports with Vibration Plates
In skiing and snowboarding, the body is put to the test. You should lay the foundation for this in the summer and regularly work on your fitness. During the last-minute rush, vibration training can provide some strength for the slopes.
Contents
Strength, coordination and condition through vibration training
Skiing requires strength, coordination, and stamina. Therefore, regular training is required if you want to start winter sports fit without running out of breath after just a few turns. Particularly skiers of the lowlands tend to underestimate the strain their own bodies endure.
Skiing is a competitive sport
If you average less than 3 hours of sport per week, you shouldn’t be surprised if your colleagues drive away whilst skiing. A morning of skiing can provide you with the equivalent of the work of a typical week in sports.
In the first two days of skiing, you may be able to compensate for this, but by the third day, at the very least, you can feel the stress. As a result, sore muscles and fatigue increase. If you prepare for winter fitness in time, this could be avoided.
For your own endurance, cycling or inline skating would be ideal. On the other hand, endurance cannot be turned over excessively in the short term. Nevertheless, a few targeted units can increase the strength very well. In these cases, vibrating plates are an ideal training tool.
Vibration training brings quick success
Fast vibrations from Vibrogym, Power Plate, and Galileo will throw you out of balance. In response, your body tenses the affected muscles reflexively. This is caused by a stretching reflex.
Put simply, receptors in the muscles register a rapidly occurring stretching, as it occurs, for example, when landing after a jump, and reacts with a reflex-like tensioning of the just stretched muscles. The muscle is involuntarily activated. A large number of muscle fibers are controlled in order to provide the power that is needed.
Vibration training utilizes these reflexes by triggering them in a targeted manner. In one minute, hundreds of reflex arcs can be triggered due to the high vibration frequency. The innervation of muscle fibers is extensive (recruitment) and also more frequent (frequency) than would be possible during conventional strength training. Moreover, the intermuscular coordination is improved.
3 times 30 minutes per week are ideal
This is also why vibration training produces quick results with little effort. In just 5-10 units of vibration, measurable increases in strength and endurance can already be observed. It is sufficient to practice for 20-30 minutes per unit. You should take a 48-hour break after every workout to allow the body to recover and the muscles to adapt to the load.
It’s still possible to do vibration exercises 2-3 weeks prior to the skiing holiday. You should focus most of your training efforts on your legs, as they do most of the work in skiing and snowboarding. In order for the legs to transfer full power to the skis, good body statics are also important. Therefore, you should also do stabi exercises that bring your core muscles into tension.
It is best to find a trainer who has experience using these machines who can show you how to use them.
The Results
Vibration training is not only an alternative to traditional ski gymnastics, but also suitable for getting into a good slope shape at short notice due to the special form of training.
References:
- Mahieu NN, Witvrouw E, Van de Voorde D, Michilsens D, Arbyn V, Van den Broecke W. Improving strength and postural control in young skiers: whole-body vibration versus equivalent resistance training. J Athl Train. 2006;41(3):286-293.
