Tips for Healthy Living: Winter Sports Series, Part 2

We’ve partnered with III Pillars, a gym in Menlo Park which educates its clients and the community on the importance of exercise, restoration and nutrition to lead a well-balanced and functional life, to bring you monthly healthy living tips. — Carmelo Sigona

Winter Sports Series, Part 2:

Improve Your Agility While Cooling the Burn

By Ryan Manuel, BS, a ACSM Health Fitness Specialist, and

Erik Heywood, BS, CSCS, CES, a Certified Metabolic Typing Adviser

After going down a difficult run, or cross country skiing up a good size hill, do you ever get the feeling that your legs are on FIRE? If this happens to you, then the second Winter Sports Series article may help you in preparing your body for the challenges that lie ahead.

The burning sensation that usually follows a challenging burst of activity is caused by the accumulation of lactic acid in the blood stream. Lactic acid is the byproduct of the breakdown of fuel during anaerobic work which may only be a few seconds to a couple of minutes of high intensity activity. Usually the body is able to absorb the lactic acid produced, but when the body has reached the limit of absorption, then build up occurs.

Lactate Threshold (LT) training is a great way to improve your response to lactic acid build up. LT training is a form of interval training, but with specific details to speed, tempo, duration, resistance and rest. You can get more bang for your buck by combining sport-specific agility drills with the principles of LT training.

Try this set of agility drills to get you on your way to cooling the flames on the slopes*.

1. Lateral hops

2. Narrow squat jumps

3. Ice skaters

4. Split jumps

Watch the demo video here:

Perform each drill for 30 seconds with a 15 seconds break in between.  For the first 20 seconds of each drill keep the effort to a moderate level. For the last 10 seconds move as fast as you can without compensating on form. After completing the four drills, rest for about 2-3 minutes then repeat for a second or even a third set.

*If you have any previous orthopedic injury or medical concerns, please consult your doctor before performing any of the following exercises.

View Winter Sports Series, Part 1 here.