Tag Archive for: skiing

There’s Still Time for a Pre Ski Season Workout Routine

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While we wait for it to snow in Colorado, start a pre ski season workout plan to put you on track for a great year on the slopes. Ski season is technically underway, but there’s still time to help prepare your body for a winter full of fun and free from injury.

As winter schedules and temperatures push us indoors, it’s common that physical activities give way to the work and social commitments of the season. Muscles used during the summer can become idle and a decline in activity can reduce flexibility. Now is a good time to think about a pre ski season workout. Just as your skis benefit from a pre-season tune-up, so will your muscles.

3 Key Elements of a Good Pre Ski Season Workout

Your workout should include aerobic activity, strength training, and stretching that promotes flexibility. The best exercises for skiing are compound exercises that blend stretching with rotation such as lateral side jumps or rotational lunges. These exercises use your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes – the muscular foundation of ski movements.

A six to eight-week-long pre ski season workout plan offers optimal training, but your muscles benefit from each week of multiple-day training that your schedule allows, so it’s not too late to start.

Exercise routines, like people, vary, and finding the right workout for your body is important. Check with your physician to identify the best cadence and level of rigor that’s right for you. The trained professionals at the CCOE Sports Performance Center can help you get ski ready to get the most of your time on the slopes.

Three examples of the best ski exercises for a pre ski season routine are: a.) squat and reverse lunge, b.) forward lunge with torso rotation and c.) lateral side jumps.

The squat and reverse lunge simulates the core ski movements while strengthening the muscles most commonly used on the slopes (glutes, hams, quads).

  • The exercise begins with feet shoulder-width apart in a ready position.
  • The first portion of the exercise is a basic bodyweight squat: Beginning from a standing position, bend at both knees to lower your body as if you were sitting down on a stool and return back to a standing position.
  • From the returned standing position, reach your right leg back into a reverse lunge (keeping your left knee above and not ahead of your ankle) to form a 90-degree angle with the floor.
  • Return to the ready position. Do ten repetitions, switch to other leg, and complete ten more.

The forward lunge with torso rotation also employs ski-influenced movements to promote muscular flexibility and leg strength.

  • The exercise begins in basic standing position.
  • Step forward with your left foot into a lunge that positions your knee at a 90-degree angle to the ground. Keep your knee directly above and not ahead of your ankle.
  • As you complete the lunge, rotate your torso and clasped hands (as if holding a coffee cup with both hands) 45-degrees to the left. Stand and return to center prior to mirroring the exercise with the right foot and corresponding torso twist to the right.
  • Complete ten lunges/rotations on each side.

Finally, lateral side jumps mimic ski motion while building balance and isolating individual leg muscles and your core.

  • This exercise begins with both feet standing ten inches to the right of a parallel line created on the floor (string, piece of tape, length does not matter).
  • Looking straight ahead, jump sideways to the left over the line, land, plant, and propel your body back over the line to the right side to land where you began. Repeat 20 times.

A good pre ski season routine will help you prepare for the thrill of the slopes with friends and family. Skiing should be a welcome break from daily stress, not a source of additional stress or strain. By getting in shape now, you can help guard against injury and ensure that you get the most of your ski season this year.

Most Common Skiing Orthopedic Accidents

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Skiing is a great winter activity that not only serves as great exercise but is also a fun and exhilarating pastime. However, skiing can also be a trap for a variety of orthopedic accidents.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common skiing injuries and the resulting orthopedic conditions related to them.

Most Common Skiing Injuries

High-Speed Falls and Collisions – Skiing involves going down slopes at high speeds, which can make it difficult to slow down in the event of a fall or collision. This causes sudden and quick accidents to happen with a lot of force.

Overuse and Excessive Strain – Skiing involves using the muscles of the body’s core. When individuals are out of shape or do not have sufficient muscle control for skiing, it can cause muscle strain injuries due to overuse or too much pressure on the muscles.

Lack of Equipment Knowledge – Skiing involves the use of large skis that take time to get used to. When individuals don’t know how to maneuver skis and the rest of their equipment, it can cause accidents and injuries. Proper-fitting ski equipment is essential to safely participate in the sport. 

Improper Preparation or Training – Because skiing is not as common a sport as basketball or soccer, a lot of accidents happen because individuals simply do not have the time to practice in order to sufficiently understand how to keep themselves safe while participating in the sport.

Common Orthopedic Conditions Related to Skiing 

Knee and Ankle Sprains & Strains – Knee and ankle sprains and strains are the most common types of orthopedic injuries that occur when skiing. Skiing places heavy pressure on the lower body, especially at the knee and ankle joints. Sprains happen when the knee or ankle is bent too much in an odd position or after a bad fall that causes the joint to bend out of position. Because skiing involves high speeds, young children or adults who do not participate in the sport very often can easily get muscle strains from the activity. 

Fractures – Another common orthopedic injury related to skiing is fracture. The most common places for fractures are at the wrist or in the leg. When a person falls with an arm outstretched, a fracture can easily happen at the wrist, elbow, or shoulder. Fractures in the legs are also common in collisions or bad falls while skiing. 

Shoulder Dislocations – Another common skiing injury is a shoulder dislocation. Shoulders can become dislocated when they are bent in an unnatural way in an accident.

Back Injuries – Hurting the back, particularly the lower back, is common among skiers. Because skiing requires core strength, and can involve falls or collisions at high speeds, the back is commonly hurt in skiing accidents. Orthopedic conditions affecting the back can range from muscle soreness to disc displacements, depending on the severity of the skiing accident.

If you receive a ski injury or have a sports-related orthopedic issue, consider seeing the professionals at the Colorado Center of Orthopaedic Excellence. Their physicians have a wealth of experience treating a variety of conditions including all manner of sports-related injuries. Call (719) 623-1050 to make your appointment. You can also request an appointment online.