[Photo: Complete Skier]

It's a familiar experience for every skier: you wake up and your body feels like it has spent the night in a tumble drier. Every muscle is tight; you have lost the ability to touch your toes or move your head; odd muscles, which you never thought you used in skiing, are sore.

The main culprit is the build-up in the muscles of lactic acid, a by-product of muscular exertion. The fitter you are, the more effectively it is eliminated. During the first few days of a skiing holiday, the unaccustomed exercise, combined with the effects of altitude on your cardiovascular system, causes the acid to build up in your muscles. The effect is compounded by any bruises and sprains you take during falls.

The warm-up described here will help you to make a strong start to the day. It is intended to stimulate the blood flow to the most important muscle groups, warming them and preparing them for exercise. Almost all of these exercises can be done without removing your skis. The warm-up should take about five minutes, and can be varied to concentrate on those muscles which feel they need it most. Warm up at the top of the first lift and repeat the program (or parts of it) after any break in your skiing, such as a long lunch or a cold chair-lift. After your warm- up, take your first run on an easier slope to give your body a chance to loosen up, before you ask it to perform at its limits.

[Photo: Complete Skier] You don't have to take your skis off to do a quick warm up.

[Photo: Complete Skier] Don't overdo it!