Trendsetting Workouts for Skiers and Snowboarders

Sweating it out at a Zumba fitness class. It's cross-training!

Can you tell by this title that I have winter on the brain? Between skiing all last week, arriving home to a frigid Midwest and snow on the ground, and knowing that I have to deal with chill and wet for the next three months, give or take, I can't help myself. But there's a good reason for it: applying the new year's fitness trends to my outdoor pursuits.

Here I am stuck resorting to gym and indoor workouts back in Chicago, waiting, and hoping, that I return to the mountains to ski soon. But I'm not about to go hopping on the treadmill--or dreadmill as I affectionately call it--to stay in shape between ski trips. I can't. Not only do I get bored within minutes, seconds on a really bad day, but my legs can't handle the every day pounding. And sometimes the routine, the running, the biking, the basic weight room strength training need a makeover.

Each fall the American College of Sports Medicine releases the results of a survey of fitness professionals that predicts the top fitness trends for the year ahead. Though it's only a prediction for what's in store for fitness fanatics this year, the trends provide good ideas for how to amp up your training regimen, especially when it becomes stale. And if you need to fuel your skiing and snowboarding fire when you can't run repeats down your favorite run, you can try some of these trendy exercises to keep your body in check. Not sure what I'm talking about? See what 2012 fitness trends can be applied to fitness for skiers and snowboarders at my latest post for buzz.snow.com.

How do you plan to stay fit in 2012? What exercises do you pursue when you can't ski or snowboard?

Photo grabbed from Cimm at flickr.