Getting Ready for Ski Season
written by: Tim Gross, PT, DPT, MPT
With snow (hopefully) just around the corner, it’s time to start getting ready for ski season! It’s important to be serious about preparing our bodies for mountain fun. Pre-season training can give a skier an edge in both competition and injury prevention. Whether you’re an alpine skier running gates or a skate skier racing a 15K, there are a great deal of uncontrolled variables in winter sports. From powder to ice, groomed to off-piste, or even changing weather conditions; a lot of different things can happen when ski meets snow.
What pre-season training can be boiled down to is control. Preparing your body in a gym (or at home) where you can control the variables of: exercise selection, intensity/resistance, repetitions and recovery. Below are some examples of exercises that can help strengthen and prepare the muscles that are most needed for balance; a key component of attacking your favorite mountain activity.
I originally designed this workout for Nordic skiers (Skate & Classic), but can be very beneficial to alpine skiers as well. You should be able to perform these exercises at home if you don’t have access to a gym setting. My hope is that you have fun with this program, feel like you pushed yourself, and are prepared for a fun season on the snow!
Of course, if you are unfamiliar with these exercises or feel an discomfort when performing them, give us a call! We can do a physical assessment and create a custom plan to address any biomechanical issues we find.
