Get ski fit

Ok, so you’re heading to the slopes. Planning on an injury-free time and hoping to get the most out of every day.

Well before you go have why not consider some useful exercises to help minimise injury, strengthen your legs and give you the stamina to keep going.

In my experience knee pain is a major problem for both skiers and boarders. We all know that accidents happen but fatigue and muscle weakness not offering enough joint stability leading to injury could be avoided.

For knee strengthening in a gym I would suggest using the leg press and hamstring curl machine. With or without access to a gym – try squats, lunges, step ups (on a box/stair). For improvement in balance – try standing on one leg and drawing a semi-circle in the air with the one that’s off the ground – to make this more difficult why not stand on an uneven surface like a wobble board or cushion. Finally for those inner thigh muscles try lying on one side and lifting the leg of the side you’re lying on – make the lifts both small and large in range. Warming up and really stretching well is also key – especially calves and making sure that you do stretches regularly while your on holiday will certainly help to reduce the risk of strains.

For some general guidelines towards getting fit for skiing this article is helpful:
http://www.sportandme.com/docs/sports/skiing/guide/ski_exercises.html

Here are some more handy hints on how to minimise damage for the beginner skier http://jointhealing.com/pages/sports/skiing.htm