Skiing while obese

I personally wear a long sleeve wool base layer under a wind breaker, and if it's going to be below about 25 I'll wear wool long johns under my pants. Merino glove liners are the right amount of warmth for me but let me use my fingers, like to grab a picture. But I like to ski fast. I see people skiing in down jackets sometimes and I wonder how they can do it.

You'll probably go at a walking intensity your first time so a soft shell might be a good idea. Skiing will keep you warm.

Snowing and raining are the worst weather to ski in. If you get sunny days, those are ideal. The trail will stay in good shape after it's groomed, and better scenery.

Holy post resurrection, Batman!

Still, for anyone else who got really excited to see a question about skiing (and any lurkers from 4 years in the future who are interested in learning to ski ), I’d like to add my tips. I have had the pleasure of teaching beginners of all ages (from 5 year old children to 70+ year old adults) and along a vast spectrum of special needs (from learning difficulties to physical challenges, such as amputees and partially sighted). I can’t begin to tell you how incredibly rewarding it is to see all kinds of people take up the sport, so I’ll jump at the opportunity to give some encouragement here on MFP!

I’ll repeat the previous advice to be honest about your weight, height, boot length and age/ski ability when being fitted with equipment: the DIN setting on the ski relies on these measurements to calculate the torque that will release your boot from the ski, and believe me, you don’t want that going wrong. However, we do know how intimidating this can be, so instructors do our best to put people at ease when getting the equipment sorted out.

Our club asks all beginners to step on our scales, so don’t be alarmed if they ask you to do this: when I calculate a DIN I take the readings in Kilos and I tell my beginners that I don’t understand the metric system (our computer has options with both), and that usually puts people at ease.

For boots, just ask for your normal shoe size: you’d be surprised at the number of people who will ask for an incorrect shoe size, which is really odd! If you know you have a wide calf then ask for ‘a wide fitting’ as makes do vary quite a bit. Lots of boots have closures that can also be adjusted to fit a wider calf. (Very occasionally, someone has a small shoe size and a wide calf, and this can sometimes mean you have to go up a shoe size to get a reasonable closure on the boot at the calf. This isn’t great, as your foot will be loose in the boot - and therefore you won’t be getting the best contact with your ski - but for the first lesson or two it won’t make a whole heap of difference.)

In terms of learning the basics of skiing, I have found that there is really very little difference between body shapes and sizes. Virtually every beginner will be using muscles they never knew they had! Those that find it ‘easier’ tend to have good natural balance, can change what their body does according to verbal or kinetic feedback, and will have a ‘quiet’ upper body: those that find it ‘harder’ will be the opposite, with poor balance (or a more dominant leg), who can’t change what their body is doing, and will wave their arms around like they’re trying to fly... However, I have seen plenty of ALL types learn to ski, and it usually comes down to attitude rather that aptitude!

So, good for you @GordonMiller12nKi - I am very happy that you shared your experience and I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip!

A couple of things: YOU WILL FALL. And though it's snow, the bigger you are the harder you'll fall. And if you fall wrong (say ski catches in the snow) you could get majorly injured. There will be ski lifts to ride. Not trying to deter you, but obese people HAVE TO take that into consideration because any injury that lays you up in a bed COULD lead to higher weight gain due to inactivity and possibly being discouraged.
I would take lessons if you go and stay on the easiest hills.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Personally I'm overweight and I found skiing really didn't suit me. The boots were so uncomfortable and I am not morbidly obese or anything, I'm just a few stone overweight but it really didn't work. I couldn't do it because my body was too heavy. The boots were pinching a LOT because my calves were squashed into them, and it made the whole experience really uncomfortable.

I'd been gifted a week's beginner course but I got to the end and I hadn't passed to be able to go on the big slope, because I still couldn't even turn

It was really sad because I would love to be able to ski but for me I wouldn't go back again until I weigh less.

Another thing to bear in mind is that you need quite a lot of core strength - which I don't have - because you have to keep getting yourself back up when you fall down. Sometime it's really awkward because the boots are heavy and you might have to reach down to undo your skis to stand up. Skiing is a lot harder than it looks!

If you still want to go then I would recommend at least buying your own boots if you have large calves, because it's horrible to get to the place and find they don't have anything suitable or that you have to squash in to what they do have.