Go easy on the mountain

I love to ski and snowboard, and I'm getting ready to hit the mountains for the first time this year. But every year, it's harder and harder for me to get back on the slopes, and I get really sore the next day. Are there any exercises I can do to prepare myself and help reduce some of the soreness? I love hitting it hard right away, but I am afraid I won't be able to walk for a week if I do.

Chris

Laguna Beach

The best physical training for skiing and snowboarding is actually done right on the slopes. There are no traditional exercises that can replace just spending more time on the mountain and giving yourself a chance to practice your skills. With that in mind, go easier the first few days of this season than you did on the last few days of last season. Choose simpler runs, take more breaks -- and remember that you're a year older than last year so your body may need more time to get up to speed.

Warmup exercises before your first few runs will help get your body ready and your muscles warm. While waiting in the lift line, do some half squats, shoulder rolls, head turns and gentle trunk twists. Go extra slowly down your first run, and deliberately practice your maneuvers in slow motion before getting big air or speed. When you're finished for the day, hit the lodge, sit in front of the fire and do some gentle stretches for the legs, the back, the chest and the arms. You can do this while you are enjoying some hot cocoa, and it may help reduce soreness the next day. Plus, it will be a good way to help you warm back up from the cold before heading home.

And, off the slopes, here are three great exercises you can do to get stronger so that your body is able to handle the tougher slopes and the longer runs sooner than in previous years. The exercises require no equipment and can be done almost anywhere you have the space.

* Wall squat: This is an old-school standard -- but it works. Put your back up against a wall, and slide down into a squat position while pressing against the wall with your back. The wall will hold you up, but your legs will have to work hard to keep you in place, and you will feel the burn after only a few seconds. The lower you go, the harder the exercise will be. The longer you hold the position, the better your body will get at handling the longer runs on the mountain. Breathe evenly throughout the entire exercise and do two to five sets with small rest breaks in between. Work your way up to holding each set for 30 seconds or more. If you have bad knees, keep your hips higher than your knees during this exercise. If your knees are strong, squat low enough that your thighs are parallel to the floor.