If the sandy dunes are morphing into snowy mountains before your eyes and you've found yourself wearing a Day-Glo Puffa jacket and making yourself hot cocoa before bed even though it's 25 degrees outside, chances are you're a snow bunny. Time to book yourself a flight to Faraya Mzaar (now that it has finally snowed in Lebanon). But before you pack the salopettes and Moon Boots, you'll need to be ski-fit to make the most of the slopes.
"Skiing and snowboarding don't tend to offer the opportunities for consistent year-round practice that many other sport do," says Warren Smith, the professional free-skier, international performance coach and ski instructor. "So when you hit the slopes, it takes two or three days for the muscles to catch up. By that time, half your holiday is nearly over."
Whether you've got six weeks or six days until you hit the slopes, there is still time to get fit with these exercise plans. They'll give you stamina and strength to spend more time on the pistes and to enjoy it more. And crucially, they'll help you avoid injury. Even if you're more about the après-ski, you will find these exercises useful, as they provide an excellent workout for the heart, legs and core muscles.
The wise will start their ski workout at least two months in advance. If your trip is more than four weeks away, you should start following this regimen as set out by Smith. Ideally, each workout will include each of the four key elements: aerobic, strength, balance and stretching. If you have less than a week before your break, skip this and go for the "panic stations" option.
Pump it up: get your heart thumping with aerobic exercise to improve your slope stamina. Do three to five sessions a week, at least 30 minutes at a time, choosing activities that use your legs more than arms, such as cycling or step aerobics. Alternate with the interval training below.
Alternate: fast down a hill, slow over a flat bit, fast, slow, fast, slow, stop (for cocoa). That's the rhythm of skiing. Because the activity takes place in short, intense bursts, it's useful to try to replicate it in your ski fitness regimen. Do this by performing interval training in which you do an aerobic exercise intensely for 60 to 90 seconds, then slow down for 30 seconds. Do this for 20 to 60 minutes. (To truly replicate it, have a mug of hot chocolate nearby and sip slowly after 10 minutes of exercise.)
The thighs have it: legs take a beating on the slopes, so to avoid the burn, spend about 70 per cent of your strength training working on your thighs, calves and buttocks. Do two to four days of lower-body strength training every week, focusing on the squat, the lunge, heel lifts and the dreaded ski favourite - back flat against the wall, legs bent to 90 degrees, as if sitting in a chair, then hold. And hold. And hold. When your eyes start tearing up, hold for another few seconds. Then collapse. Repeat. Add controlled bounding and jumping into your routine. Smith says: "This makes a muscle go from short to long quickly, mimicking the rapid dynamic demands of skiing." To do this, stand in the basic ski or snowboard pose, bend your knees, then jump forward, ensuring you land securely without losing your balance. Repeat this 20 to 40 times, jumping across a room. Finally, add in a movement to mimic the left-to-right swishing of skiing. "By simply jumping from left to right continuously, you can simulate an athletic movement that can feel very similar to skiing in short to medium radius turns," says Smith.
Arm in arm: skiers also use their arms, especially the triceps and the core stomach and back muscles. Snowboarders use their arms less, but core strength is even more important for them. So spend the remaining 30 per cent of your strength training on arms, or around one to three days a week. Alternate the arm days with leg days to give muscles a day of rest in between. Although you should try to strengthen all of your upper body, focus especially on triceps, lats (the muscles that go from your mid-back to your sides) and core (stomach and back). Push-ups will provide a good workout to arm and chest muscles. Add the tricep dip, too. Dumbbell rows, performed from a bent-over position with knees soft, will strengthen lats.
Tummy tuck: for the core, in addition to the usual sit-ups and crunches, try the plank. Lie face-down on the ground. Lift yourself up on your elbows and toes, keeping your body as straight and flat as an ironing board from head to heel. Your forearms should stay on the ground for balance. Hold this for 60 seconds.
Where did the time go? The holiday is barely a week away and you've done nothing to prepare. Should you cancel?
Not at all, says the ski trainer Rhian Evans. As a ski fitness instructor for many professionals and teams, and a personal trainer to the international jet-set, Evans has had to come up with exercise regimens to fit into their busy schedules.
"With only one or two weeks until your ski trip, there are still some exercises that will help you get the most out of your holiday and help reduce the chance of injury," says Evans.
On the run: "Try to squeeze in at least a few cardio sessions, ideally of around 45 minutes. Sports that require short bursts of energy, such as squash, football or tennis, are ideal, but jogging and cycling are fine, too," says Evans.
Strengthen up: it is still worth doing strength training, especially lunges, ball squats (use a Swiss ball to support your back against a wall, then lower into a chair position), climbing stairs and crunches. This includes both normal and side crunches, where you twist your body towards the opposite knee. Even if you've left your training until just a few days before, a couple of intensive workouts will at least prepare your muscles a little for the slopes.
At the resort: before you hit the slopes, do some stretches to warm up your muscles. Evans suggests a morning stretch that includes: big arm circles; quadricep stretches for your thighs (lift your ankle behind you, hold on to and pull towards your bottom, making sure your knees stay together); hamstring stretches (bend over at the waist until you feel it pull along the back of your leg, then lift your toes on one foot, put them down, then the other); calf stretches; back bends and twists (carefully and slowly); tricep stretches (lift arms over head, hold on to your right elbow with your left arm, then bend your right arms down towards your back; do the same with the left arm).
On the slopes: "If you have travelled by plane, be aware that your equilibrium may be off for the first day or two. Go easy on jumping and tree skiing as your overall reaction time will be slower than usual," advises Evans.
End of the day: "Hydrotherapy can be very useful in flushing away lactic acid after the day," says Evans. "This can be achieved in the shower (hot for two minutes followed by cold for 30 seconds, three times) or in the spa (using the same time ratio with a roll in the snow or a dip in a cold pool). Try not to spend too much time in the hot tub, or you'll feel lethargic the following day."
Warren Smith runs the Warren Smith Ski Academy in the UK (various snow domes), Switzerland (Verbier and Saas-Fee) and Japan (Niseko and Furano). Courses start from £329 (Dh1,900) for five days, with private lessons from £139 (Dh816) for two hours. For more information, visit www.warren smith-skiacademy.com.
Rhian Evans is based in the Three Valleys in the Swiss Alps in winter, and travels with families as their private trainer the rest of the year doing weight loss, muscle building, yoga, Pilates, aqua, massage and beauty treatments. For more information, visit www.skiphysique.com, +33 684 373 692.
Always consult your GP before undertaking any exercise programme.
England v South Africa schedule:
- First Test: At Lord's, England won by 219 runs
- Second Test: July 14-18, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 2pm
- Third Test: The Oval, London, July 27-31, 2pm
- Fourth Test: Old Trafford, Manchester, August 4-8
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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Florida: The critical Sunshine State
Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991.
Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.
In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
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'Joker'
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
Rating: Five out of five stars
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Managing the separation process
- Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
- Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
- Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
- If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
- The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
- Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
- Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
OPENING FIXTURES
Saturday September 12
Crystal Palace v Southampton
Fulham v Arsenal
Liverpool v Leeds United
Tottenham v Everton
West Brom v Leicester
West Ham v Newcastle
Monday September 14
Brighton v Chelsea
Sheffield United v Wolves
To be rescheduled
Burnley v Manchester United
Manchester City v Aston Villa
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
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Youth YouTuber Programme
The programme will be presented over two weeks and will cover the following topics:
- Learning, scripting, storytelling and basic shots
- Master on-camera presence and advanced script writing
- Beating the algorithm and reaching your core audience
Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar