The Effects of Fitness Program in Increasing Physical Fitness for Alpine Skiing on Second-Year University Students

Each individual achieves ease in performing a particular skiing element if he/she uses the multitude of available movement activities purposefully and harmoniously. Alpine skiing requires highly developed aerobic and anaerobic capacities, as well as high level of motor skills, which primarily include strength, explosiveness, agility, balance, flexibility and coordination. Group fitness programs are the most widespread form of sports recreation, and they have a positive effect on the transformation of the functional abilities of the organism and changes in body composition. This research was conducted 14 male participants aged 20-21, second-year students, with aim to determine whether the level of physical fitness can be improved by applying a group fitness program, which would open up the possibility of applying group fitness programs as sports and recreational activities in preparation for the implementation of alpine skiing lessons, but also as a program to increase the physical fitness of older populations for recreational alpine skiing. The fitness program used in this study was authored by Jim Stoppani, a 12-week program based on the concept of periodization and the concept of microcycles, and aimed to increase strength, increase muscle mass and reduce body fat. Statistic analysis showed that program has positive effects on morphological characteristics, functional abilities and motor abilities essential for alpine skiing.