Fit For Snow

10/24/2026

It's that time of year again, the leaves are falling, the snow has started to grace the peaks, and our FREE webinar series is back! Join us October 28, when we'll be talking preparation and planning with our friends from .

Pre-registation is required, grab your spot now https://bit.ly/AvCanWebinarOct25

10/24/2026

If you're wondering why the stair workouts cause some serious delayed muscle soreness this post is for you.
When moving downhill or in the lowering phase of a movement your muscles have to contract to resist the pull of gravity but they also have to lengthen at the same time so that the movement can take place. The neural pattern for these types of contractions (called eccentric) is different than for movements where the muscle shortens to lift an object up (concentric contractions). Because of this, the forces exerted on muscle are greater with eccentric contractions and when the load is greater than what you are habituated to, small amounts of damage occur within the structure of the muscle. But don't worry, this is not a bad thing because it signals to your body to rebuild a stronger system!
The peak soreness is experienced at 48 hours because part of the healing process requires an influx of white blood cells to remove the damaged tissue and this inflammatory process includes pain signals to prevent you from doing anything to cause more damage to the healing tissue.
The best way to facilitate the rebuilding process is to do light exercise during the painful period. Warm up gently by moving your legs through gentle range of motion movements and then walk, jog, swim or spin on a bike with minimal load. The idea is to get the muscles warmed up and increase blood flow to wash out wastes and deliver nutrients so that the muscle has what it needs to rebuild.
Making sure to stay hydrated, eat well including a bit of extra protein, get 8 hours of sleep and keep moving are the best ways to reduce the pain and make sure that you maximize muscle building in response to your stair workouts!

10/24/2026

Stairs are a great way to prep for skiing and riding because as you run downward your leg muscles have to resist gravity in a similar way to when making turns on your board(s). This type of muscle contraction is called eccentric and it places a high load on each muscle fibre. We'll use hops on the stairs to mimic these movements for both your muscles and nerves making your legs stronger than ever and dialling up the joint reflexes that will protect you against injury.

Hopefully you've found a set of stairs with at least 8 consecutive flights, but remember that if you only have access to a couple of flights you can still build a killer workout by repeating the prescribed sequence until you've done it at least 8 times.
Warm up by jogging up one set and then back down. On the way down think about your posture and core to protect your back. Be precise with your footwork as there is some risk when jumping down the stairs.
Next lap sprint one flight, jog one flight up to the top. On the way down jog a couple of stairs until you've settled down from the sprint and then start dropping from stair to stair in your skiing or riding stance. When you are 2-3 stairs above a landing do a 2 foot takeoff, spring up and drop down onto the landing. Stick the landing by holding the low squat position for a count of 30.
The next two reps up you are going to face sideways and do crossovers up the stairs at a fast jog pace. Go all the way to the top facing right and repeat the hops from stair to stair and the drop jump sequence on the way down, but this time when you land instead of sticking the landing position, as soon as you touch down spring back up as powerfully as possible. Repeat but face left on the way up.

Now comes the time to dig in. This rep do two foot hops from stair to stair on the way up. Try to hold your skiing or riding stance so that you stay in a squat position all the way with your legs extending to power the jump underneath you and tucking up to maintain a tucked stance. On the way down let your legs recover by jogging down, with just the drop jumps onto the landing.
Next lap is skater's jumps on the way up. Get down low and spring from side to side. You'll likely have to slow the pace down for this one, but try to make the jumps powerful. Jog down the first flight and then do the two foot hops for the rest of the way down.
One more hard lap, two foot hop up one flight, skater's jumps the next. Hop on the way down if you've got anything left in your legs
Jog one last rep up to the top and then jog back down then cool down with 5 minutes of jogging and stretch out your quads, hamstrings and calves. Follow this workout with a high protein and simple carb snack. The insulin will help your muscle rebuild after this killer workout!

10/23/2026

Fit for Snow was designed based on studies looking at mountain guides, patrollers, instructors and lift ops, but the principals apply to other jobs at snowsport resorts (and people who love to spend time on snow). Snowcat drivers also have to deal with difficult environmental conditions and staying focused when fatigued. Our research showed that when blood sugar fluctuates reaction time can be slowed by as much as a third of a second. The delay in reacting to an unexpected event is compounded by two other factors - risk propensity and decision making.

10/22/2026

Big news! A study has shown that 45% of injuries occur in the hour prior to lunch and the mid-afternoon!! But they completely missed the boat in their discussion as to why. The research behind Fit for Snow revealed the reason for this clustering of injuries (in guests and in staff). Follow the page for an easy fix to prevent these injuries and save your season!

Discover the deadliest times of day for ski accidents and practical tips to stay safe on the slopes. Learn what the data reveals!

10/21/2026

Ready for phase II of the Fit for Snow pre-season program? For the next 4 weeks we will continue to build season surviving aerobic endurance but the focus will shift from general cardio to skiing and riding legs. Powerful legs. Legs that can keep turning all day. Legs that will get you on top of your board(s) whatever the conditions. Legs that won't let you down.

To achieve this goal we need to mimic the types of movements required when skiing and riding downhill, and one easy way to do that is with stairs. Ideally, you'll want at least 8 consecutive flights but if you only have access to a couple of flights you can still build a killer workout. For fewer than 8 flights repeat the prescribed sequence until you've done at least 8 flights.

Warm up and jog up and then back down. On the way down think about your posture and core to protect your back.

Next sprint one flight, jog one flight up to the top. On the way down when you are 2 stairs above a landing do a 2 foot takeoff, spring up and drop down onto the landing. Stick the landing by holding the low squat position for a count of 30.

The next two reps up you are going to face sideways and do cross overs up the stairs at a fast jog pace. Go all the way to the top facing right and repeat the drop jump sequence on the way down, but this time when you land instead of sticking the landing position, as soon as you touch down spring back up as powerfully as possible. Repeat but face left on the way up.

Jog one last rep up to the top and then jog back down then cool down with 5 minutes of jogging and stretch out your quads, hamstrings and calves.

This workout will most likely make you quite sore 24-48 hours post workout. But that's a good sign - it means that you'll rebuild your leg muscles stronger than ever!

10/20/2026

Managing good nutrition on a budget can be very challenging, but there are some strategies that can help stretch your food budget. This time of year, root vegetables are half the price of midwinter, so pick up some squash and store them in a cool dry place. If you have access to a freezer you can roast or even just peel the squash, bag the flesh in heavy plastic bags and you'll have the basis for one of my favourite soups.

Curry Squash Soup

Chop two large onions and saute in a large pot with a little olive oil until translucent. Add two cloves of garlic minced, 2 inches of grated fresh ginger and a tsp each of curry powder, ground cumin and ground coriander. Fry the spices for a minute until fragrant and then add 4 cups of squash (carrots also work in a pinch). You can add 2-4 cups of any other veggies that you need to use up, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes etc all work. Just chop coarsely and add to the pot. Add water or stock to cover. If you're using water mix in a couple of bullion cubes and 2 tsp salt. And if you like a little heat add your favourite chilies, fresh or dried or paste. Bring the pot to a simmer and a 1 cup red lentils, then cover and cook for 30 minutes or until all the veggies are soft and the lentils are cooked.

I like to puree this soup, an immersion blender does the job in seconds and is easy to clean up. It gives the soup a beautiful thick texture. Enjoy!!

10/19/2026

There's only one person who can give you legs that don't give out, a back that doesn't hurt and the best season that you've ever had.
We're going to transition from this first phase of general aerobic power into a more specific focus next week, so to wrap things up get out on your favourite bike ride or hike this weekend and see just how much you've gained over the few weeks

10/18/2026

One easy way to top up your protein and B-vitamins without adding too much extra cost is to use nutritional yeast as an umami topping or as a base for sauces and salad dressings. It has a cheesy slightly salty flavour and packs a whopping 5 grams of high quality protein in just one tablespoon.

10/17/2026

Besides fitness and nutrition, Fit for Snow offers the full complement of self care strategies for busy snowsport resort workers. You'll find tips on all kinds or recovery strategies from sleep to stretching to mindfulness and of course, hydration, refuelling and managing life's other distractions.
Stay tuned for more!