Staying Well at Home
We Ski for Lighters usually like to get up and go, but right now, in service of public health, we’re hunkering down. To help our far-flung community stay fit, positive, and connected during the COVID-19 crisis, we’re pulling together some fun digital content featuring your SFL friends sharing their favorite at-home exercises, meditations, motivational tips, and more.
Got a short video or audio to share, or maybe a request for help? Reach out to SFL vice president Julie Coppens, at or send us a message on our Facebook page. Thanks for contributing and participating, and be well!
Here’s a link to our Facebook videos (you don’t need a Facebook account to watch):
https://www.facebook.com/SkiforLight/videos
Here’s a link to an audio recording of an SFL morning stretch class from a few years ago (but still great!), led by Nino Pacini:
https://www.sfl.org/event-save/podcasts/stretch.mp3
And because we all need to remember to breathe in these anxious times, here’s a link to SFL guide Betsy Thomason’s 10-minute video intro to her book JUST BREATHE OUT:
Getting in Shape for Cross-Country Skiing
If you have never cross- country skied before, have minimal experience, or just want to make sure you are in good shape to get the most out of the experience, there are two things that you need to know before applying to attend the Ski for Light International Week, or before actually attending the event.
- First, cross-country skiing is an aerobic activity that may not be physically appropriate for every prospective attendee. If you have concerns about participation, consult with a physician who can discuss with you the risks of participation in vigorous physical activity, given your medical history and physical condition. For more information on this subject please read About Cross- Country Skiing and the Ski for Light International Week
- Second, once you have determined that cross-country skiing is for you, we recommend that you begin some basic physical conditioning so you can get the most enjoyment from the week. This is just common sense for anyone planning to participate in a week of physically demanding aerobic activity. We have developed some resources that will help you get ready for the week. First, Ten Easy Steps to Increase Fitness helps you find easy ways to incorporate exercise and stretching into your daily activities. If you are ready for more rigorous exercise, including a training calendar, see Physical Conditioning for Ski for Light Skiers which provides suggestions for aerobic, core and upper and lower body exercises, which will help you get the most out of your ski week. The final section of this document contains exercise resources geared for people with visual impairments and some high intensity fitness programs. Additionally, here is a recording describing how one SFL veteran prepared for a recent event.
Guide Handbook
The Ski for Light Guide Handbook contains a wealth of general skiing tips, SFL-specific terminology, a standard progression of instruction for beginners, and other information to help new guides approach their first event with confidence, and to help everyone ski together more safely and enjoyably. (Adobe PDF format)
Narrated Video Accompaniment to the Guide Handbook
The Narrated Video Accompaniment to the Guide Handbook brings the concepts presented in the PDF Guide Handbook to life. (MP4 format, 8 minutes, 38 seconds)