Are you going skiing/ snowboarding this winter?
Winter is approaching and you may be planning a trip to the mountains to hit the slopes, but are your legs and knees prepared? Skiing and snowboarding are extreme sports and there are many injuries that can occur while on the slopes, some of these more avoidable than others. It is extremely important to prepare your body as best you can to prevent injuries specifically knee injuries such as ACL tears or ruptures, meniscal injuries and other knee sprains and tears.
What you can do to prepare:
- Your buttocks, quads and hamstrings muscles are all incredibly important for both skiing and boarding. Ensure to work all of these muscle groups in your preparation.
- Ensure to include both single leg and double leg loaded exercises.
- Don’t forget to work your core. A strong core will make life easier for your legs, help with endurance on those longer runs and aid in injury prevention.
- Do some cardio too! Cycling is a great way to build up the leg muscles while getting some cardiovascular fitness at the same time.
- Train your legs for at least 6 weeks prior to hitting the slopes.
Ideal exercises:
- Squats: both single leg and double leg
- Jump squats
- Lunges
- Planks
When you are on the slopes:
- Warm up, stretch and cool down.
- Check your equipment is functioning properly e.g. bindings are set to your weight and height so that they will release when they need to.
- Correct technique: if you don’t know, take lessons. It is harder than it looks!
- Follow Mountain safety signs! If you are carrying an injury or just need some advice on how to best prepare your body for your upcoming snow holiday, call the clinic on 8555 4099 to make a booking with one of our physiotherapists
