Author: freeridegirl

Off piste guiding I St. Anton

Fit for winter & skiing ? How? Me ? You ?

by freeridegirl

By Anne-Louise S. Jørgensen, Ski Instructor & Off-Piste Guide in St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria.

How do I stay fit year-round for the ski season?

This is a frequent question I receive. For me, maintaining fitness all year has become a lifestyle commitment; I prioritize staying active and training my body. While there are periods of more intensive training, I also allow time for recovery, mobility, and stretching exercises.

Seasonal Variation

Summer & autumn

From June to September, when I’m in Denmark, I do a lot of running and cycle occasionally. I’m also active as a kitesurfer. From September to November, when I’m mostly in Austria, I prefer running and hiking in the mountains, along with mobility and stretching exercises on my rest days.

Winter

During winter, from December to end of April, my daily routine mainly consists of skiing, both on-piste and off-piste. Some days are more active than others, and I always adjust my training according to my body’s needs. I focus on swimming and taking long walks with my dog. As I age, it’s crucial to care for my joints and prevent injuries, so strength training is a year-round priority. I mainly use bodyweight and full-body exercises but may emphasize cardio training at times, as I enjoy the feeling it provides.

Importance of Base Fitness

I maintain a baseline fitness level that varies with the season and my athletic goals. It’s essential to me to have a strong and healthy body to tackle winter challenges and enjoy kitesurfing in the summer. This balance is something I strive to keep throughout my life.

8 Tips to Stay Fit for Your Ski Holiday or Ski Season

  1. Mix Up Your Training: Experiment with a variety of sports or activities that challenge your body in different ways. This keeps your training fresh and engages different muscle groups, enhancing your overall fitness.
  2. Combine Strength and Cardio: It’s vital to balance strength training with cardio. Strength exercises build muscle and help prevent injuries, while cardio activities like running and swimming boost endurance and cardiovascular health for longer ski outings.
  3. Prioritize Core and Leg Workouts: Your core and legs are critical for winter sports. Incorporate exercises like planks and squats to strengthen these areas and minimize injury risks.
  4. Focus on Mobility and Stretching: Winter activities can put a strain on your body, making regular stretching and mobility exercises essential for keeping muscles and joints flexible and injury-free.
  5. Don’t Neglect Upper Body Training: Often overlooked, upper body workouts are essential. Push-ups and shoulder exercises help prevent injuries, especially as weak shoulder muscles can lead to problems when skiing or using poles.
  6. Maintain a Healthy Diet: A nutritious and varied diet is essential for achieving and sustaining fitness. Include plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein to provide your body with energy and nutrients. Consider vitamin and fish oil supplements for your immune system and joint health.
  7. Stay Hydrated: Regardless of the temperature, it’s vital to drink enough water to stay hydrated. Physical activities can make you sweat, and replacing lost fluids is key to avoiding dehydration. Be mindful of how altitude and sun exposure affect your body.
  8. Listen to Your Body: Winter can be tough, so pay attention to what your body tells you. If you feel tired or sore, take a break to allow for recovery. It’s essential to know your limits and not force yourself into activities that could lead to injury.

A FIT body Makes Everything More Enjoyable

Winter is a fantastic time of year, and with these tips, you can stay fit and healthy to enjoy various seasonal sports and activities. Remember to have fun, challenge yourself, and listen to your body—this way, you’ll be well-prepared for winter!

/Anne-Louise

Fear & Anxiety while skiing

How to be a supportive Ski buddy!

by freeridegirl

In this blogpost I will give my take on how you can become a better, supportive ski buddy, when skiing with a person, who doesn’t have the same skiing level as you. But first I will give an example of the opposite, so you know what i’m talking about and how to avoid situations like this.

By Anne-Louise S. Jørgensen. Professional ski instructor & off-piste SkiGuide in St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria. MSc. Sport psychology (cand. scient)

MAN TEACHES WOMAN

The man teaches the woman to ski. He is an experienced, skilled skier. She is lightly trained, but hasn’t been skiing for a long time. Her feeling on skis is almost like being completely new to the game. The couple starts together at the beginner’s area in the ski resort. It goes well. The man sees that she can easily get down here. He takes her up on a steeper slope. He tries to teach her what would be good for her to do in the current situation, but she doesn’t listen. He tries his best. He likes her and wants only the best for her. She doesn’t listen because she is already frustrated! She doesn’t have the ski skills to handle this steep and bumpy slope, which results in her being pressured and unable to keep up. She gets way too much out of her “comfort zone”. This causes her to be challenged so much that she panics, starts yelling and screaming and crying. The tension between these two persons is now high. The man doesn’t know what to do and looses patience. This leads to a huge argument out on the slopes. She takes off her skis and takes the ass ride down the slope. Afterwards, she does not want to talk to the man for several hours. The whole day is ruined. Maybe the holiday is ruined or the relationship! Next time she goes skiing, she probably has more fear & anxiety when skiing, just because of this experience.

Also read my Blogpost about Fear & Anxiety when skiing.

WHO’S TO BLAME ?

Situations like this should be avoided. You can not always say it’s the man’s fault or who’s to blame, because he is pushing her. BUT of course taking a person on a very steep slope, which she is not capable of doing is TOO MUCH. Then you are to blame. People mostly want other people the best. It’s good to think one extra time before skiing with “sensitive” skiers. Like some people have to think one extra time before talking. *LOL*. It’s al about human psychology.

JUST AN EXAMPLE

Perhaps you have tried similar situations?

Remember: Above is just an example. It doesn’t need to be man/woman situation. It could also be woman/man, mum/son, dad/dauther, friends, but this MAN TEACHING WOMAN TO SKI. I have seen this way too often out on the ski slopes.

WHAT TO DO?

1) FIRST SKI SCHOOL

In cases like this above, the best advice is always to send the “not so good skier” to a professional ski instructor or ski school. Achieve private lessons or group lessons. Depending on the person. It’s less stressful for you and the investment worth it.

One of my ski client’s once told me it’s cheaper to send his wife to me as getting divorced!

2) SKIING TOGETHER AFTER THE SKI LESSON

After the ski lesson and lunchbreak you could ski a bit together. The person, who went to ski school, could show what he/she has learned in the lesson. When this is going to happen, there are just some small things you could have in mind while skiing together. It will give the skiing experience together a much better energi flow.

HOW TO BE A SUPPORTIVE SKI FELLOW

  • Don’t act like her/his ski instructor. People who knows each other too well, doesn’t always want to listen to each other as if it was a stranger, who listened. It can create frustration. That’s also a reason why don’t teach your wife, but Support!
  • On the person’s terms. Don’t ski over level. Then the bad circle will start…
  • Be present. Don’t always wait 100 meters down the hill. Not that “The slow person” always has to feel slow or think “F…” they are always waiting for me”. That’s bad for the head.
  • Think of where you make breaks or meeting points on the slope. Do not stand near the edge of the piste far away down, as people with anxiety think they cannot turn or stop in time – and on a bad day, they might crash 
  • If you MUST to go on a red slope (no other option) and the person only likes blue, then it’s very important to ski down the red without the less experienced skier notice it
  • Praise
  • Less is more. If too much tension is building up, then stop skiing. Enough is enough. Go for a drink or beer. Less is more. Enough is enough. Skiing should be fun for everybody. Skiing experience together creates great bonds with each other as well.

I hope you got some inspiration. Let me know if you can use my advice. Also if you have more good things that I could add to the written above.

Anne-Louise S. Jørgensen

Fear & Anxiety while skiing

Fear & anxiety while skiing

by freeridegirl

Do you suffer from fear and anxiety while skiing ? Or maybe you know someone, who does? The thought of falling and not being able to control the speed is scaring. The stepness of the slope is terrifyring or something else? Especially the “unknown” of what’s going to happen & “loss of control” while skiing creates anxiety in some people’s mind.  Read the post below if you want inspiration for what can be done to minimize fear & anxiety when skiing – and what to do and consider to achieve a better and funnier skiing experience.

By Anne-Louise S. Jørgensen. Professional ski instructor & off-piste SkiGuide in St. Anton am Arlberg, Austria. MSc. Sport psychology (cand. scient)

Fear & anxiety is human

You are not alone. From my many years teaching experience, there are a lot of people, who automatically gets anxious, when they go skiing for the first time. Also those who goes several times each year. Had breaks, weeks or years of no skiing. There are also those, who has developed anxiety due to bad experiences & accidents on skis. They all need to feel comfortable with skiing and build up their skiing confidence again. That’s totally normal.

The skiing confidence is essential

The coolest thing is, if a person achieves the feeling of self-confidence, “Yes I can do it”. I can ski down here. I can actually control my self on skis. I can ski! The feeling of anxiety will then automatically be reduced. The person gets the courage to do more… And then it usually comes naturally that you want to and feel ready for other slopes… But the most important thing is NOT TO FAST. It’s always good to get a little out of your comfort zone, but in moderation. Your comfort zone can get pushed a bit as your confidence grows. If a person is given too many challenges in relation to skills, anxiety occurs. The person also lose confidence and gets into a bad circle! Then the ski motivation also gets decreased.

Overcoming fear & anxiety while skiing can take time – depends on the person.

HOW to build this skiing confidence?

SKI lessons with an experienced instructor

I would always suggest private lessons with an instructor for a better skiing experience. Find a ski school with an experienced instructor or book an independant one, if you know one. The skiing technique will get improved during skiing & exercises. The experienced instructor can normally combine a person’s physical and psychological skill level quite well. Here I mean, the instructor will not only look at the sequence of exercises in relation to the skiing development, but also to look at the person you are dealing with. And find the person’t optimal comfort zone. An experienced instructor, can see strait away in a person’s body language, when a person suffer from too much fear while skiing. And beside teaching, the ski client can receive tips and tools on how to get down the dirrerent slopes in the ski resort. And there are of course much more a ski instructor can offer. Further more the ski instructor will help you develop to the better ski version of your self.

Skiing on your own – some advices for less fear & anxiety on the ski slopes

  • Experiences of success give confidence 
  • Practise on easy terrain, where you feel confident. When it’s start getting boring, speed up on the same run. When it’s too boring for you, then you’re ready for next level. Another slope.
  • Be patient. Less is more. Enough is enough. Be satisfied with what you already done.
  • Be honest about your skiing level, when skiing with friends. It’s important you don’t feel or get pushed, otherwise your fear will grow even bigger!
  • Supportive ski fellows is the key. What is a good, supportive skiing buddy? Read my blogpost about it next week!
  • SKIING HAS TO BE FUN. LAUGH …
Skiing should be fun! Remember! FUN FUN FUN!

/ By Anne-Louise Saikkonen Jørgensen (Arlberg Freeridegirl)

Peak Season – February -Ski instructor & Guide – availability – St. Anton am Arlberg

by freeridegirl

Peak ski season

Especially February month is busy. School holiday period as well. All Ski-schools in St. Anton am Arlberg – The whole Arlberg region – are getting very busy.  It can be difficult to get a certain private ski instructor or off-piste guide, if you don’t book in advance.  I just want to inform you…

There are several ski schools in St.Anton. Of course you can just show up in one of the bigger schools’ office in town and book for the day – private or group lessons. They will probably always have some (holiday) instructors available. It can also happens, if you are too late with the booking, that they are “sold out” for the day.

You can also book an independent ski instructor or a ski guide online – (like me) through their own webpage. Often they are fully booked weeks before february.  

BOOK YOUR FAVORITE INSTRUCTOR

Just have in mind that it can be more difficult to get the instructor you want in high season, if you don’t book in time: Who speaks your language or an experienced/ higher qualified instructor etc., because they are simply fully booked (peak week is from 10 th of february 2024 etc).  

Also good to know is that the group lessons in the big ski schools for kids and adults can be quite crowded in Tirol, Austria (max. 12 people).

But when people first get the experience, that it’s difficult to get the instructor they want. Or they went in a too big group the year before, they learn – next time – to book long time in advance or to book private lessions. 

Life with a pre booked ski instructor / ski guide gives less stress.

On a holiday it’s important not having stress, but pleasure, togetherness, joy, fun and eat and do things that makes you happy 🙂

I hope it was good information or a great reminder.

/Freeridegirl alias Anne-Louise

 

HOW DID I END UP AS A DANE AS A PROFESSIONAL SKI INSTRUCTOR & SKI GUIDE IN ST.ANTON AM ARLBERG?

by freeridegirl

MY STORY SHORT

I was born in Denmark, in December 1985. It was snowing a lot, when my mum & dad went by car to the hospital to give birth to me. I’m a real winter child 🙂

Arlberg Freeridegirl

I started to ski in the age of 3. Ski holidays 3 times a year with my family to Sweden, Norway and The Alps (France, Switzerland, Italy & Austria). When I was 17 years old, I went to St.Anton am Arlberg with my family, and it was love at first sight. After High School I had a gap year. A part of it was of course a season as a ski instructor in St. Anton am Arlberg.

Afterwards I had to study. That’s what’s some would say “a good citizen” does in the Danish society. Though, in the winter holidays I went to St.Anton, to work as a ski instructor. After I finished my university (bachelor of Sport Science & Health & master degree in Social Sciences & Sport Science with specializing in sports psychology) I felt free. Especially I felt the freedom of expectations from society, family etc., to get an university degree. Ok DONE!

Next thing was work. I was not interested in a typically 9-16 job. During making my master, I felt in love with an Austrian guy, which was good and bad at the same time. Through him I learned to be more aware of doing, what felt right for me, and we found out how to combine work & life between Austria & Denmark. I also decided to get the highest level of ski instruction certification in Austria, Staatlich geprüfter Skilehrerin. I finished this education in 2017. In December 2020 I became an austrian ski guide as well (Staatlich geprüfter Skilehrerin). The way to the top level was not always easy for me, but I follow my dreams. If I want something, I go for it. Now I’m independent. That was the best decision in my life until now!