Ski Season

24 Days till Ski Season: Get Slope Ready

Nothing is worse than ending your ski season early due to injury. Most injuries in skiing/snowboarding occur at the end of the day. What does this mean? As we fatigue we become more susceptible to injury. Those 160cm or greater boards and skis we have attached to our feet transmit a lot of force and specifically torque though our legs. As we fatigue we struggle to control that force and that is when injury occurs.

Some injury facts: (compliments: Karen E. Crummy, Denver Post)

• 600,000 people are injured skiing/snowboarding each year
• About 2 injuries for every 1,000 skier visits is the national norm, this is a 50% decrease in injuries since the 1970s
• Snowboarders have twice the injury rate of skiers

Snowboarding/skiing has turned into an interval sport. We ride 100, 2500 or more vertical feet at a time and then stand in line to ride a lift for another 5-10minutes. So we need to train the same way. When we shred the pow we are working somewhere between 60-80% of our maximum heart rate. That is a heavy load.

Nobody wants to end his or her season early so what can we do to better prepare? Start working out like a crazy person? That might be effective but there is a more efficient way.

Certain muscles don’t get used when we sit at our desks from 9-5 Monday – Friday. These muscles are the ones we need to get back in shape so we can ride better, feel stronger and ski longer.

Gluteus Maximus and Medius

• Mini Bridge
  • Single leg Bridge
  • Side squat
• Clamshell
  • Lateral Band

Hip Stability

• Single leg stand
  • Single leg unstable surface
  • With reaches

Trunk stability – core

• Transversus Abdominus
  • marches
  • BKFO
• Quadruped
  • Alternate arm leg lift
  • Opposite elbow to knee
• Advanced
  • Plank
    • On Elbows
    • In push up position
  • Side plank

Quadriceps, hamstrings

• Squat
  • Squat with weight
• Drinking bird
  • GB bridge curl

Combined – Leg and stability

• Squat hold
• Single leg mini squat
• Lunge with rotation
• Double leg side to side hops for time
• Single leg side to side hops for time

Cardio

• 2-3x per week
• At least 20 min
  • Bike
  • Swim
  • Walk
  • Elliptical
  • Stairmaster
  • Run – if you must

There is no guarantee that performing any exercise will stop you from getting injured. These will help decrease your chances and make you look good in the hot tub at the end of a long day on the slopes (no guarantee on the looking good part).