We’re all feeling the stoke as winter approaches, daydreaming of steep lines, huge carving turns, powder days and blue bird skies. It’s only October and our tribe of brothers and sisters are texting photos of early season snowfall and vigilantly focusing on weather forecasts.

I say bring IT, Winter.

But then I honestly ask myself, “Am I really ready to make this my BEST winter yet?”

And when I look deep in the mirror, I answer, “No, bro. You’re not.”

Ha ha!

As a fitness professional and mountain athlete for 20+ years, admittedly I have been guilty of not fully preparing my body to maximize my experiences on the hill. At times, I have relied on muscle “memory” and skill set vs. trained strength, endurance, power and reactivity to “get down” the mountain safely.

As I get older, I’m no longer that twenty something ripping down vertical chutes in the Mammoth backcountry that could get away without proper strength and conditioning. In fact, these days I’m never fully confident on the mountain whether in the backcountry or at the resort without solid fitness and preparation.

And this winter? I wanna rip. I want to be better than I have ever been. I want to spend magical days with my daughters on the lifts and I want to ride and make memorable moments up high with my brothers.

Asit Rathod at Mt. Hood Meadows, photo by Randy Boverman

So here is what I am working on for myself and my mountain athletes to have much more fun on snow this season:

• ENDURANCE: Maintaining stamina, balance and coordination for performance and reduced potential for injury.
• STRENGTH: Utilizing functional movements specific to skiing and snowboarding to perform at various intensities and on ever-changing terrain.
• POWER: Improving agility and reactivity, which are paramount to skiing and riding with unforeseen obstacles or terrain features.
• MINDSET: Strengthening and conditioning the body positively impacts the mind. The more confident you are, the more fun you will have on the mountain.

Whether you know it or not, you ARE an athlete, so why not train like one? FIT Academy is now offering ski and snowboard strength and conditioning programs for individuals and small groups. For more information and advice, please shoot me an email, or log onto the FIT Academy website.

Jarod Cogswell is the Founder of FIT Academy located next to Washington Square Mall in Beaverton, OR. He is certified as a Performance Enhancement Coach, ski mountaineer, mountain rescue team member and has summited Mount Hood nearly 100 times. Jarod is also the author of WORK like an Athlete… Championship Training 4 the Game of Business.

Last modified: October 13, 2016