Exercise Equipment For Nordic Skiers

A Norwegian cave is home to a stone-age carving of a man on a pair of skis hunting an elk. Written references to Nordic skiing, also called cross-country skiing, date back to 526 A.D., according to the book "Cross-Country Skiing" by Ned Gillette and John Dostall. The modern-day sport requires stamina as well as shoulder, hip, lower back and stomach strength to move across flat or uphill landscapes on a pair of skis.

Inline Skates

Nordic skiing involves balancing on one moving ski as you prepare to push off the other. Improve your balance by putting on a pair of inline skates and hitting the streets. The movement mimics that of cross-country skiing, and you'll build cardiovascular endurance and balance at the same time. XCskiworld.com, an informative website on all things skiing, suggests one to three high intensity workouts on your skates per week as well as at least one long-distance effort.

Stability Ball

While Nordic skiing works your entire body, the core muscles of your hips, abdomen and lower back require extra strength training in the off-season for maximum performance on the snow. A stability ball is a light-weight and portable piece of equipment with a range of uses. Lie or sit on the ball instead of a weight bench to work your core while you target other muscle groups, or perform crunches and hyperextensions on the ball to really strengthen the muscles of your abs and lower back.

Walking Poles

The movement of cross-country skiing works your shoulders and arms in a way that you don't get in everyday activities. Mimic the motion during the off-season by walking or hiking uphill with a pair of walking poles. Practice this and other Nordic skiing-specific exercises weekly or biweekly to prepare your body for ski season, suggests XCskiworld.com.

Dumbbells

Strength training your arms, shoulders and legs once or twice per week will help improve your performance come winter. A set of dumbbells is relatively inexpensive and takes up very little space. Instead of spending extra money on a gym membership for weight lifting, you can work nearly any muscle in your body from your living room with dumbbells. Try overhead shoulder presses, lunges, bench press and squats to work your shoulders, arms and legs.