Getting Fit – History Lessons can they teach us anything?

We’ve just unearthed this antique book about ski fitness, it belonged to my partners mum who skied long before the use of modern equipment made it easy.

The book was published by the Ski Club of Great Britain but it doesn’t have a publication date.  It cost 3s/6d, that’s pronounced 3n6 by those of us who can remember how to say it and it is 17 and ½ pence for those who can’t. That means it is at least 40 years old (before UK decimalisation in 1971) but I think it is older than that, looking at some of the exercises it seems more like late 1950’s which would make it the same vintage as me.

So what have we learned from the history lesson? Well some of the exercises (mainly the squat type) are similar, but most are very very different.  There is lots of swinging of the body in the exercises “do movement with a vigorous continuous swing...” and “holding ski positions”.

I’m particularly looking forward to holding this position – at least he’s got his weight forward – on a “very steep slope”.

…actually scrap that I think I’ll do some turns instead.

And I won’t be wearing a woolly hat to do my exercises, or in fact for skiing, I’ve been wearing a helmet for about 3 seasons and now feel more comfortable with it on; there will be more on that debate in another post.

But one piece of advice I definitely will be taking –