Winter sports and technology: how to use tech solutions for a whole new experience

Innovation, technique and passion. Technology and winter sports "go downhill” neck to neck. As a matter of fact, technological research in winter sports ranges from the integration with off-the-slopes training through apps which guide your specific workout to ski at your best, to the study of increasingly innovative products, solutions and materials.

Not to mention the in-depth analysis of slopes and optimal angles to ensure that sportsmen and women – both professionals and amateurs – have control and stability during training and performance on the snow.

Snow technology and safety in winter sports: an inseparable combination, all the more when it comes to doing sports in the cold, where the snow – so fascinating and long-awaited by those who love to work out in low temperatures – can prove insidious, up to the point of compromising a day of snowy fun.

Winter sports: training in the cold

Ice-cold winter training? Something quite common for sports athletes, but even for the simple enthusiast winter months can be a good moment to spend some time training body and mind to feel good. Even at low temperatures.

Enjoying hi-tech winter sports: a statement becoming more and more correct, because if there is evidence that technology simplifies the lives of sportsmen and women, it is also the existence of innovative solutions and products in the sector. A sector that today spans a multitude of winter sports: from skiing to sledding, from snowboarding to ice skating.

The advantages of winter sports at high altitudes? One above all: the immune system is strengthened and becomes more resistant. Positive health effects? It’s easy to say: the better your level of fitness, the lower the chances of getting sick during the cold season.

Another positive aspect of winter sports is reflected in the training sessions: those who prefer indoor training in winter – perhaps in light of the next winter sports competition – can find an ideal environment in the gym.

Gym training is indicated for the improvement of performance in winter sports: it is in fact aimed at making one achieve physical results otherwise unattainable. Even in the gym, software technology is incredibly helpful.

With Mywellness App – for instance – you can track your own training progress, create customized workout sessions depending on the winter sports you're planning to practice (for example, core and quadriceps for skiing). The app – when connected to Technogym smart equipment – will generate bio-metric data to monitor the progress of performance over time.

On the other hand – with Technogym App – you get maximum results in minimum time thanks to personalized workouts and on-demand videos from top trainers to train at the gym, at home, at work, when travelling and outdoors. Every day the app's virtual coach offers you the most suitable workout, combining scientific research, artificial intelligence, engaging and challenging video content. Just as Mywellness, Technogym App allows you to connect to your personal profile on all Technogym Ecosystem’s touch points through your Technogym ID.

In addition to Precision Programs based on to your goals, progression, time, and available equipment, the app also offer a vast on-demand library – exclusive Signature Programs dedicated to sport, Technogym Routines focusing on specific muscle groups or fitness goals, Technogym Sessions for a trainer-led selection of video lessons. Signature Programs are the result of Technogym's over-30-year experience as the reference brand for the Olympics and global sports champions around the world, aimed to train you like a pro cyclist, runner, tennis player, golfer and skier.

However, software is just one side of technological innovations in fitness. Even the equipment – as in the case of Skill Line – has reached a remarkable level of technological advancement. Skill Line – composed of Skillrun, Skillmill, Skillrow and Skillbike – is designed for the creation of ad hoc training workouts, for the improvement of sports performance in a fast, effective, safe and fun way.

In any case, it is always advisable to approach winter sports indoors relying on coaches or personal trainers capable of orienting the sportsman in the best possible way between the latest generation of tools and machines. It’s important to stress that athletic preparation for winter sports cannot ignore specific training.

Wearable, technology to wear on the snow

As mentioned, winter-sport-related technologies also include gadgets and wearable solutions: no hi-tech winter sports enthusiast would give up wearing traditional equipment pieces such as helmets, masks, glasses, gloves, boots – or refrain from using skis, snowboards, sleds, ice skates – that integrate or accompany technological devices and gadgets.

We're talking about

• social ski helmets with ultra-light weight and defined design, that allow you to receive and make calls thanks to the built-in microphone;
• augmented reality ski masks that integrate Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth features, to monitor your performance on the snow;
• ski goggles with integrated GPS mapping and recording routes on the slopes, also featuring a viewer with an analysis of the speed and altitude;
• snow gloves with built-in touch-screen technology, that connect via Bluetooth to your main device;
• socks and ski boots heated by battery, able to keep the bottom of the leg warm at all times;
• smartwatches with integrated heart rate and pressure sensors, and GPS system (to monitor individual training sessions and to show speed, distance and difference in altitude), and able to connect to all Technogym equipment, allowing a more complete workout session.