Alpine Skiing

Alpine skiing derives its name from the mountain range, The Alps in Europe, where the sport developed in the late 1800's as a means of moving down snow-covered slopes. Skiing spread to other parts of the world and is now done primarily at ski resorts on specially cut trails. The most common lift in North America is the chairlift, which is a series of seats suspended from a motor-driven cable that pulls the seats up the mountain. Various surface lifts which pull skiers up the hill while they remain standing on skis include rope-tows, T-bars, and J-bars. Many larger areas have enclosed aerial lifts, such as gondolas or trams, which allow skiers to take off their skis and ride up the mountain inside specially designed cars suspended from cables. In Europe, cog railways and funiculars (cable railways) are also used to carry skiers up a slope.

Almost all ski resorts have equipment to make snow artificially when there is not enough natural snow to support the sport. Snowmaking equipment combines air and water with special additives and then sprays the mixture at very high pressure onto the slopes. Grooming machines smooth out the slopes and ensure that the snow has a uniform consistency.

The components of fitness include mostly cardiovascular and a lot of muscular strength in the legs, particularly in the thighs and quads. Because skiing involves riding the chairlift to the top of the mountain after each run, a cool-down is not necessary because you get a consistent break the entire workout. A warm-up, however, could include swinging your legs to stretch out your leg muscles. A workout of skiing could last anywhere from a few hours, to an entire day depending on your stamina and ability. To progress to greater abilities in skiing, one would not want to stay on the "bunny slope" every day, but instead progress to harder and perhaps steeper trails. The target heart rate for this activity would be about 140 beats per minute, for a twenty-year-old. This number would vary depending on your age.

A two-week workout for skiing would include skiing at least four hours a day, taking one or two days off in between, while on the chairlift you can alternate resting and keeping your legs warmed up. During this period, you should increase trail difficulty so that you will increase your abilities.