This Saturday is the annual Skyliner Ski Swap held at The Pavilion. For many Central Oregonians, this event marks the start of the winter season and getting ready for the activities ahead with new gear, but there’s another important aspect of preparation: conditioning for the body.

I first started thinking about how exercise regimens change to accommodate different activities when I was talking with colleagues who are avid hunters. In the summer, they begin to prepare for their fall hunting endeavors. They train with heavy packs and focus on hill work to prepare for elevation peaks and valleys. (Pilot Butte and Bessie Butte are a couple of their favorite hills.)

As a non-hunter, I was surprised to learn that they cover a lot of ground while wilderness hunting, and it’s very physically demanding. One friend just returned from the Eagle Cap Wilderness in Northeast Oregon where he spent six days, five nights and covered 40 miles on foot with a 55-pound pack. He climbed 10,000 feet of elevation gain and 6,000 feet of elevation loss. This is pretty typical and gets more intense when they are successful and have to haul out without help of a vehicle.

One of my coworkers is a traditionalist and does a lot of hiking in challenging terrain to prepare his body. He’s also a hockey player, so the leg strengthening he earns for fall hunting rolls right into his winter passion on skate blades. Another friend adds a little technology. He trains with an app called MTN Tough. It’s basically Cross Fit for the mountains. He’s a fan of pack training or “rucking,” and rowing and cycling for additional cardiovascular strength.

In Central Oregon, the seasons change fast, and it may be time to begin your own winter sports conditioning. Downhill or nordic skiing, hockey, skating, snowshoeing or even shoveling snow all tax muscles differently and to reduce risk of injury and to boost overall enjoyment, a little bit of prep can go a long way.

I’m looking forward to some nordic skiing and snowshoeing with my family this winter and have my eyes on a new drop-in fitness class that starts this month at Larkspur Community Center. Winter Sports Conditioning meets on Thursdays from 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.

This weekly class will prepare attendees for the snow season with group training that includes ample amounts of muscle conditioning, speed, agility and power work. Using functional training tools, participants can expect to take downhill and nordic skiing, even figure and hockey skating, to the next level with strength gained during these conditioning sessions. The instructor has several award-winning Pole Pedal Paddle mugs in her collection, so she knows her stuff. She also instructs nordic walking classes to get you ready for the snow to fall and to keep you safe and active through winter conditions.

The advice of BPRD’s fitness team is to give your body a seasonal tuneup so that an injury doesn’t sideline your fun. Winter sports can be higher risk, and you can enjoy the season even more with some preparation and prevention. Fitness training on foundational movement patterns will improve overall performance when you are engaged in sport or simply walking to the mailbox at the end of an icy driveway.

If you’re attending the Skyliner Ski Swap this weekend, enjoy the event that helps support Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation athletes and get excited about putting your new gear to use this winter. As soon as the event wraps up, The Pavilion staff will begin building the ice sheet with plans of opening for ice season sports and activities on Oct. 23.

The seasonal switch flips quickly, and you want to be ready for all the next season has to offer. Check out all the fitness schedules at bendparksandrec.org.