Marlene Hatch is a physical therapist and rehabilitation manager at Intermountain Health Park City Hospital
Ski season is just around the corner, but is your body ready? Skiing is a fun winter activity, but it can also take a toll on muscles and joints. A pre-season ski conditioning routine can keep both skiers and boarders on the hill and out of the emergency room.
“The demands of winter sports like skiing and snowboarding are different from those of summer sports, such as running, cycling, and golfing,” said physical therapy manager at Intermountain Park City Hospital, Marlene Hatch. “One way to avoid injury and optimize your performance is to do a sport specific strength and conditioning routine.”
People can consult an athletic trainer or physical therapist to find out if they have strength deficits or asymmetries, lack of mobility, inefficient movement patterns and overall lack of conditioning that may have a negative impact on their winter sports or make them prone to injury. This is also important for those who may still be recovering from an injury.
Whether you are a seasoned skier/snowboarder or new to the sport, a pre-season conditioning routine can help you gain more confidence, strength, agility, and balance through key exercises for specific muscle groups:
- Quads– Skiers feel their quad muscles with every turn they carve. Rebuilding these muscles prior to a heavy snowfall, can lead to fewer injuries.
- Hamstrings – Strong hamstrings are equally important to having a safe day on the hill. Hamstring strength helps protect your ACL and counterbalance those quads.
- Abdominal muscles – A good strong core absorbs bumps, preventing an injury to the lower back, and helps maintain a good ski position.
Even for younger skiers it’s important to add this type of conditioning and cross training to a workout regimen. Doing only one type of workout, or sport for too long can cause an imbalance in muscle strength that can lead to sprains, strains and overuse injuries.
Skiing and boarding require a full-body commitment, certain exercise routines will help establish healthy conditioning habits with hopes of preventing injury.
Three Key Elements to Strength and Conditioning for Skiing and Snowboarding
- Strength- how much force you can produce or weight you can lift
- Muscular endurance- how many times can you apply that force or lift that weight
- Mobility and flexibility- do you have enough motion to move in all directions, fall and then get back on track and get back up
Typical ski and snowboard conditioning exercises
Squats, lunges, jumping lunges, retro lunges, wall sits, deadlifts, hops single and double leg, weighted step ups, box jumps, lateral hops and core like plank walk outs, are examples of exercises for strength and agility training.
To prepare for the slopes, it’s recommended to exercise at least three times per week and include 30-45 minutes of strength and agility training exercises, such as those listed above, plus 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise.
For more information about the sports science and sports medicine and performance services available for everyday athletes, visit intermountainhealth.org
About Intermountain Health
Headquartered in Utah with locations in seven states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, 385 clinics, medical groups with some 3,900 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For more information or updates, see https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.