Ski Fit this Spring with ABTA and Sports Direct

LONDON, February 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Planning a Ski trip this spring? Not only will an adventure holiday take you away from day to day home life, you can also enjoy amazing health benefits when you take to the slopes, helping you feel even better about packing up your thermals and heading to the alpine resorts.

So how exactly does Skiing help keep you fighting fit? Well firstly, it's one of the few sports that gives you a full body workout. Moving to control your balance and speed uses a variety of different muscles in your arms, back and legs all at once so as you practise your manoeuvres you're toning up.

Skiing can be hard on your body especially if you don't exercise regularly. To avoid injuries, remember to always stretch after you come back to your resort. When asked by ABTA, Dr Craig McLean from Putney Chiropractic recommended a variety of stretches your muscles following a day of skiing.

• Start with some gentle calf and Achilles stretches. You do them leaning towards the wall with one leg bent and another leg straight in the back.
• Concentrate on rooting your back leg's heel to the ground and the more forward you lean, you will feel stretching either your calf or Achilles.
• Other muscles that need stretching are your quadriceps. You can either stand or lie on your side, bend one of your legs and bring your foot to the back of the knee. Hold with your hand and adjust so you feel your stretch in your thigh.
• To end your cool down, take a couple of deep breaths and relax in the child's pose known from yoga.

Whether you're a seasoned Skier or just starting out, it requires a lot of effort and energy, which in turn burns up a lot of calories! According to Ski Indiana, some types of Skiing can burn over 1000 calories per hour. Great news if you're hoping to indulge in plenty of the local cuisine during your holiday.

Skiing doesn't just help the outside either, due to the high intensity of the sport it can help get your blood flowing and give both your heart and lungs a good workout. The endorphins released during exercise will also help improve your mood, so you'll be a happy healthy Skier all week long!

Ready to make the most of your Ski holiday? Log on to http://www.sportsdirect.com today and kit yourself out with the latest Ski wear, pants, safety equipment plus much more.

Contact:
Adam Spawton-Rice
+44-(0)20-7182-6470