In today's busy corporate world it is becoming more and more difficult to find the time for personal fitness. Often however, it is not a lack of time that prevents us from becoming physically fit, rather it's a misunderstanding of the definition of personal fitness. Many people have the misconception that personal fitness is associated with weight lifting and jogging. This is incorrect. Beyond the basic level of fitness needed to reduce the risk of disease processes, personal fitness can be determined as an individualized measurement of ones physical ability to enjoy life, it is not a measure of ones ability to lift heavy weight or run long distances.

If you plan on heading to the slopes this winter you should begin a personal fitness program to help you get the most enjoyment out of the winter months. With the ski and snowboarding season quickly approaching there is no better time than now to begin a fitness program in the comfort of your own home. Whether you are a skier or a snowboarder, this simple 50 minute fitness program has been designed to increase strength, stamina, flexibility and balance. These exercises and stretches have been specifically selected and modified to help you meet the intense fitness demands of skiing and riding.

Additionally these exercises are intended to help prevent season ending injuries. By moving through 10 circuit exercises in a short period of time, you will maintain an elevated heart rate while performing a sequence of aerobic, anaerobic and balance drills. The stretching exercises are intended to increase flexibility, improve balance and decrease the incidence of on hill injury. The overall goal of this fitness program is to help riders and skiers get the most enjoyment out of the winter by improving upon their present fitness level. Here is how to make the most of it.

The entire routine can be broken down into five segments:

• 5 minute warm up
• 12 minute circuit training (first cycle)
• 10 minute group A stretching
• 12 minute repeat circuit training (second cycle)
• 11 minute group B stretching/cool down

After a five minute warm-up jog or bicycle, immediately begin the exercises in order. Preset the timer on your watch to beep every minute (With the Timex Iron Man and Triathlon style watches set the timer initialed CR for 1 minute). Follow the exact order and instruction of the circuit exercises. After the first 12 minute circuit training cycle is performed, immediately move into Group A stretching. This sequence of stretching will take you 10 minutes. After Group A stretching is complete move back into the circuit training, repeating the same circuit training drills as before. Begin Group B stretches when the second cycle of circuit training is complete.

If you have not exercised steadily for the last 6 months, start your program with one circuit training cycle followed by all of the stretches. As your fitness level improves, work up to two circuit training cycles. When you can finish the two circuits easily, add time to circuit drills in 30 second intervals. Do not skip the stretches! They are even more important than the circuit training with regards to injury prevention.