As promised, I have a three-part series with a great routine to work your legs out-just in time to get in shape for the ski and snowboarding season! Having strong quads enables you to last longer on the slopes and will reduce soreness after a full day, not to mention it’ll give you more strength to pump your legs on the half pipes and snow parks to show off your moves. Besides improving your skills, you’ll have shapely, defined legs to show off!

Keep in mind that the quads (thigh muscles) are huge muscles, so you need plenty of oxygen going through your body as you perform these workouts. Remember to breathe! A rule of thumb to help you remember when to breathe is to blow out when the exercise is hard. For instance, when performing a squat, it’s easy to lower your body, but when rising it is difficult. So breathe out the entire time you are lifting or rising. You’ll notice right away it gives you the extra energy to finish the workout. Make proper breathing a habit.

SQUATS WITH A BALL

*Place an exercise ball between the wall and the curve of your lower back while standing up, legs out just a step or two in front of you.

*Stand with your feet hip-width apart, pointing forward.

*Lower your body until your legs/knees bend to 90 degrees

*Press with your heels and lift your body back up. Lean back against the ball as you do so, breathing out all the way up.

Repeat for a total of 3 sets of 15 to start. To make this exercise more difficult, stand on a BOSU ball or resistance discs. Also try plie squats by spreading your legs wide, feet pointing out at an angle. By using this stance, you’ll work the inside of your thigh.

ONE-LEGGED SQUATS

*Stand up nice and tall, shoulders back, on one foot.

*Put the other foot either in front of you (leg bent at the knee) or behind you.

*Slowly lower your body until your knee is bent

*Rise up slowly

Try working one leg at a time, then switching after all of your reps. For beginners or days that you have less balance, try barely touching your toe on top of your foot to stabilize you.

Besides these two exercises, take one day a week to work out on three to four machines at the gym that focus on your legs. Lunges are killers, but they work - hands down. Running, jogging, and walking on the treadmill with an incline also helps tone up your legs. Try building up your endurance on the elliptical, too. If you want to see results, remember to always increase the incline so that you are not on a flat surface the entire time you are on a cardio machine!

Tags: Fitness, Health