IT'S been a while since a man has turned my legs to jelly. But then I defy anyone who tries Kris Cann's ski fit programme not to be a little wobbly on their pins afterwards too!

All those squats and lunges - designed to strengthen the thigh muscles in preparation for the piste - can leave you feeling pretty weak at the knees the next day believe me.

But I know it'll be worth it in the long run, if you'll pardon the pun. Every skier has experienced that burning thigh feeling at some point, especially when you're a beginner.

And when you only have a week each winter to play in the white stuff, it makes sense to be in shape; otherwise, as I know from experience, you can lose valuable time resting weary limbs.

That's where Kris comes in. His mission is to make sure your body is fit for the task.

"If you want to ski harder for longer, you need to build up ski-specific muscles," says Kris who has his own private gym at the Quality Hotel in Bournemouth.

"It's about building up your core strength - stomach, back and sides - and increasing flexibility which can also help prevent injuries as it strengthens the ligaments around the joints."

Kris, an award-winning personal trainer, came up with his core conditioning "snow wars" programme after a client asked if he could help get her in shape for her ski holiday.

"She was having lessons at the dry ski slope and after only one training session she said it had made a big difference - she went from being the worst in class to the best!"

My personal training programme started with a lifestyle questionnaire and a detailed assessment of my abdominal wall, which Kris says is the key to stabilising the spine.

Some of the exercises were very small, specific, movements as opposed to the traditional stomach crunches or sit-ups that I am used to.

But Kris showed me how to target the right muscles in the lower abs, and it certainly seemed to work.

The bulk of each hour though was spent on strength training exercises. As soon as he felt I had mastered one level, he would move me to the next stage, which often meant increasing the weight load.

To begin with my legs would ache for several days after a training session, but as the weeks went by they got stronger, even though the exercises were getting harder.

Kris, who is a qualified CHEK (Corrective High -performance Exercise Kinesiologist) coach, also worked on my balance and co-ordination using stability balls and foam rollers to improve my ski technique.

He explained that the stability ball acted like a multi-functional tool for your body, as it works lots of different muscle groups at the same time.

My first task was to try sitting on it with my feet off the floor and I could immediately feel the exertion through my whole torso as I struggled to maintain my balance.

But that was a piece of cake compared to what was to follow. His goal, he informed me, was to get me standing on it.

Although I never quite managed to be completely upright, I was able to kneel on it and even to get both legs up into a rather ungainly frog position. I could also balance on the foam roller for at least two minutes at a time too.

It was hard work but good fun. Kris kept the programme varied and interesting - no two sessions were exactly the same, and each time I felt I was making progress.

The six weeks flew by and soon it was time to put it all into practice. I was heading out to the French Alps for a short ski trip with the girls.

Over the following three days I skied harder than I have done for years. My friend who is a far more accomplished skier than myself, was hobbling around by the second day complaining of sore quads, but I can honestly say I didn't suffer a twinge of pain at all.

I don't know if my balance has improved, as I fell over several times on the steeper stuff - I've still got the bruises to prove it!

But I'm convinced that the snow wars training programme really did help me to make the most out of my time in the mountains.

And if anyone can get you fit for the piste - Kris Cann!