8 tips and useful exercises

Learning to ski for beginners

Powerful turns, rapid changes of direction and then a final sprint to the finish line – skiing is a very special experience. Provided you have mastered the technique. But what if you have never stood on skis before? Can you still learn to ski as an adult? And what is important when doing so?

The good news is that yes, you can still learn to ski as an adult. To do this, it's best to start with the basics: learn how to move safely on flat ground, how to use the edges of your skis optimally and how to use the snowplough to brake. Then try to master your first turns and gradually combine them into sweeping movements. The best way to do this is to take a professional ski course for beginners: you will benefit from the expertise of the ski instructor and make rapid progress. Alternatively, you can practise alone or with friends – our tips will help you.

In this blog post, we take a closer look at the most important aspects that are equally important for adults and children when learning to ski.

Tip 1: The right beginner's equipment for learning to ski

Before you can hit the slopes on a skiing holiday or day trip, you will of course need the right equipment for learning to ski. Especially at the beginning, you don't have to invest in expensive equipment right away – it's better to take your time to find out whether you enjoy skiing as a winter sport and how you get on with certain items of equipment.

It is therefore worth borrowing equipmentfrom friends and acquaintances or a ski rental shop when you are a beginner. Almost every major ski resort has locations of the SPORT 2000 rent ski rental service. There you can rent modern, well-maintained equipment at favourable conditions. If you book in advance, you will also benefit from the online guarantee and up to 10% discount. And best of all, skis, ski boots and ski poles are optimally adapted to you and your needs, as well as your height and weight, so that everything fits perfectly. You can also hire ski helmets from SPORT 2000 rent or have your existing ski boots adjusted.

Skis, ski boots, ski poles and a helmet are a good start – but your ski equipment isn't complete yet.

When learning to ski, remember to bring the following additional equipment:

• Ski trousers
• Ski jacket
• Scarf or neck warmer
• Hat
• Ski gloves
• Ski socks
• Ski goggles

Don't worry: if you've forgotten something at home, you can purchase items such as ski jackets, hats, gloves, ski goggles and morefrom most ski hire services. This also applies to SPORT 2000 rent dealers, of course. Your skiing holiday or skiing trip is therefore guaranteed.

Tip 3: Build up your basic fitness and warm up before skiing

If you want to learn how to ski, it's a good idea to already have a certain level of basic fitness. This way, as a beginner, you can concentrate fully on the right technique without getting out of breath straight away. Trudging through the snow can be quite strenuous. It is therefore advisable to integrate fitness exercises into your daily routine to prepare yourself optimally for time on the slopes.

Before putting on your skis, you should also do a few stretching and warm-up exercisesto prevent injuries.

Correct stretching

Do a few stretching exercises both before and after skiing. This sport puts a lot of strain on the legs in particular, so you should pay special attention to them.

Our tips for simple stretching exercises:

• Side bend: Stretch your arms upwards, clasp your wrists and bend your upper body to the left and right until you feel a stretch.
• Stretching your calf muscles: Stand in a slight lunge position with your arms stretched out in front of you and touch a wall with your palms. Make sure that the entire sole of your back foot is flat on the floor and your knee is straight.
• Stretching your thighs: Stand with your legs apart and your toes pointing slightly outwards. Now bend your left leg to the left, for example, supporting yourself slightly with your hands on your thigh. Stretch until you feel a stretching sensation in your right thigh.

Always hold the exercises for about 10 seconds and repeat about 10 times on each side. Once you have stretched sufficiently, you can now start with the warm-up exercises.

Effective warm-up exercises

Skiing uses almost all the muscles in your body. That's why it's essential to warm up completely before you venture onto the slopes. You can do the following exercises once you are wearing all your winter clothing and ski boots.

Effective warm-up exercises for skiing:

• Arm circles (in the same direction/opposite)
• Hip circles (clockwise and counter-clockwise)
• Squats
• Lunges (for more stability, you can hold on to your ski poles)
• Leg swings (support yourself on your ski poles and swing your legs alternately under your body)

Repeat these movements 15–20 times in 3 sets.

Tip 4: Put on your skis correctly

Once you have arrived at the slope with all your equipment and warmed up, it is time to put on your skis correctly. Make sure that you are on flat ground and not on a slope, and that the two stoppers on the sides of the bindings are facing downwards. This will ensure that your skis do not slip away in the snow if there is a slight incline.

How to put on your skis correctly:

• Place your skis shoulder-width apart and parallel to each other across the mountain in the snow.
• Take your ski poles and remove snow from the soles of your ski boots.
• Step into the binding of the first ski with the toe of your boot.
• Now press down on the heel until the binding clicks into place.

Check that the ski is securely attached to your ski boot. You can do this by lifting your leg slightly and shaking it gently a few times.

Afterwards, you can put on the second ski in the same way. However, make sure that you and your skis are still parallel to the mountain so that you don't accidentally slip away.

Tip 5: First skiing exercises for beginners on flat terrain

As a beginner skier, it is important that you first get a feel for the skis and gliding. That's why we've put together a few helpful exercises, including tips on how to do them correctly:

• Gliding/lunge: Hold on to your poles and glide back and forth alternately with your skis. Once you feel confident, you can also glide forward in a slight lunge.
• Lifting legs individually: Lift your legs one at a time and try to maintain your balance for a short time, leaning only slightly or not at all on your poles.
• Pushing off like on a scooter: This exercise for beginner skiers works on the same principle as riding a scooter: you stand on the scooter with one leg while pushing off with the other. Now do the same with your skis. Take off one ski, push off lightly with your ski boot and try to balance on the other foot and glide on the ski. Do this exercise with both legs until you have developed a good feel for gliding and skiing.
• First glide with both skis: Now put on the second ski and try to push yourself with the ski poles and glide a little with both skis (in parallel ski position).

Tip 6: First attempts at skiing on gentle slopes

Now find a simple, wide slope with a gentle gradient. Even as an adult, you can use the children's slope, which has only a minimal incline. This is perfectly adequate for beginners to start gliding on skis. Take your skis under your arm, walk up the slope a little and put them back on (parallel to the slope). The simplest technique for learning to ski is the ‘schussfahrt’ (downhill run).

• To do this, turn with your skis on perpendicular to the slope.
• Place your skis shoulder-width apart and parallel to each other, supporting yourself with your ski poles.
• Now glide down the slope in the so-called ‘schussfahrt’.

If this is too fast for you, go into a snowplough position. To do this, form a V with your skis (ski tips together and ski tails apart) and press down on the two inner ski edges. This will automatically slow you down. It is best to try out the snowplough position on flat terrain beforehand so that you know what to do on the slope.

You can stretch your ski poles backwards for these exercises, as they are not absolutely necessary. If you have fallen on the slope or simply toppled over, simply place your skis parallel to each other and across the slope, support yourself on your poles and pull yourself up using them.

Tip 7: Learn how to turn properly on skis

Have you already mastered braking in a snowplough and schussing on a gentle slope? Then the next steps in learning to ski are your first gentle turns and thus changing direction. Practise this again on a gentle slope to gain confidence. You don't necessarily need poles for this yet.

Our tips for learning to turn and change direction:

• Start parallel to the slope and turn your skis, which are positioned parallel, slightly perpendicular to the slope.
• If you are standing with your left shoulder facing the slope, slowly turn your skis perpendicular to the mountain (clockwise). You will now automatically start to glide.
• To make a turn to the right, first tilt your feet to the right, almost simultaneously with your knees, and then tilt your thighs and hips to the right.
• Push off harder with your right foot (right outer edge) to complete the right turn.
• You have now completed your first right turn.
• To master a left turn, you have to do everything in reverse. Practise this until you have mastered the movements and everything works safely.

Then you can pick up your ski poles – this will help you initiate the turn. It works like this: if you want to make a right turn, stick your right pole into the snow, do the legwork described above, and the turn will work even better. However, it is generally advisable to master the correct legwork first and then add the ski poles.

Tip 8: Find suitable ski resorts for beginners

When learning to ski, it is best to choose a ski resort that is suitable for beginners with lots of blue slopes. There you will find gentle slopes with easy routes and plenty of space. If you want to hire equipment, you must of course make sure that there is a ski hire location, for example from SPORT 2000 rent, in the ski resort of your choice.

If you follow these tips, your first days on the slopes are sure to be a success. But beware: if you realise that you would prefer some support when learning to ski, there is no shame in taking a ski course, even as an adult. On the contrary, it is actually the easiest way to quickly master the sport, as instruction from an experienced ski instructor helps you learn the basics quickly and safely. Many ski schools also offer individual training, where the ski instructor focuses entirely on you and your needs. Beginners can usually master their first easy blue slopes after just 2–3 days. It's even better to practise for a whole week to gain even more confidence. Ski courses or private lessons are also a great way to improve your skiing technique.

Conclusion:

Adults of all ages can learn to ski just as quickly as children. Provided they are in good physical condition, are motivated and have enough patience. In most cases, the key to success is to take a beginner's ski course at a ski school. There, beginners are taught the special techniques and how to use the equipment correctly and safely. Choosing the right equipment is also crucial for successful learning – it must be optimally suited to your height, weight and individual needs.

We hope you have fun on your skiing holiday and learning to ski – hit the slopes and let's go!