The snow is here. So far, this winter is looking to be one for the ages. With this last weekend’s winter storm dropping several feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, every winter sports enthusiast has already been enjoying the snow or is getting ready to do some turns on the hill. Once these skiers and snowboarders make it up to the mountains, there will likely be some injuries. Many of these injuries can be avoided with proper sports injury prevention training. Looking at these injuries over the years can give us some insight into how to stay injury-free and enjoy an entire winter sports season.
Demographics of alpine skiing and snowboarding injuries are highest in young males. The statistics even state that there is a 25% higher rate of injuries to youths if they are involved in a school-organized outing. This shouldn’t surprise us, as we know boys like to push the limits. There are some interesting statistics when comparing the most common snowboarding vs. skiing injuries. Knee sprains were less likely (14% vs. 27%), spinal injuries were more likely (12% vs. 4%), foot or ankle injuries were more likely (28% vs. 5%), and distal radius fractures were more likely (10% vs. 1%). Tahoe Forest Hospital in Truckee saw more than 50 distal radius fractures on a Saturday in February several years ago. Snowboarders accounted for most of these wrist fractures. Head injuries account for 17% of skiing and snowboarding injuries.
Each year I scan the literature on the prevention of skiing-related injuries to see if any new ideas have validity. Here is an update on the latest research around the prevention of skiing and snowboarding injuries — first, the bad news. If you have been waiting for the snow to fall to start getting into shape for the ski season, you’re too late, and I warrant extreme caution if you are heading up to the slopes in the next week or less. You will be fine if you have been training all summer and fall.
Let’s have a look at where you should be. Make sure you are in good enough shape to enjoy a full day or two on the slopes and not get injured.
Aerobic fitness
Aerobic conditioning in riding a bike (outdoors or indoor trainer) or any other indoor aerobic exercise machine is the first step to staying injury free. Other great aerobic exercises that will get you in shape to ski are running, especially up and down hills, hiking, or power walking with ski poles or trekking poles. Exercises should be done daily and for 30-60 minutes. Sports medicine studies have shown that most injuries occur when the athlete is tired. In skiing, this usually occurs at the end of the day.
Dynamic stretches (flexibility)
These flexibility exercises must focus on the quadriceps, hamstrings, hip adductors, and hip flexor muscles. To make it dynamic, you can perform the stretches in a flowing motion from one stretch to the next. One example is kicking the leg back and forth or going into a series of lunges moving from one foot forward to the next in a fast-paced manner. The side lunges to the right and the left in quick succession will stretch the adductors dynamically, and all of these will stretch the calf muscles.
Running drills
Forwards and backward running, zigzag running, and bounding are recommended. The zigzag running drills prepare you for skiing. Bounding is a precursor to plyometric training exercises. It is specifically related to a progression of running drills. Bounding can be like skipping, alternating high knee running, single leg hopping/bounding, and reciprocal hoping, like a triple jumper in track.
These dynamic stretching drills have shown to be better than static stretching in preventing injuries in young female athletes and male and female collegiate athletes.
Post-workout or end-of-day skiing static stretching is an excellent way to assess your muscles. Are they tight, sore, or even painful? If so, you can do something about it. You can stretch the tight muscle group more, cut back on the activity that is causing the discomfort/pain, or rest.
Strength training
Strengthening exercises for skiing come in all kinds of forms. The internet is filled with a lot of high-end elite-level practices. Stay safe and avoid the temptation to try these routines. Instead, by performing a few of the following basic strength exercises, you can get stronger and allow you to make it to the ski resorts without getting injured while trying to do Mikaela Shiffrin’s training compilation. I’ve seen dozens of injuries from people trying to emulate an elite-level athlete’s training routine.
The basics of a good strength training program must entail several exercises for the lower extremities, trunk muscles, and upper extremities. You can do all exercises without equipment and get great results. Some of these exercises include full squats (i.e., thighs parallel to the floor), lunges with or without weights, balancing on an unstable surface (a couch pillow) for the lower extremities and performing forward / side planks, power cord arm pulls and spinal twists on the floor. Strength training exercises should be performed every other day (about 3-4 times a week). This allows a day of rest between these aggressive exercises for proper muscle recovery. During this muscle recovery time, stretching and aerobic exercises can keep you moving in the right direction, improving overall body fitness. Please look at a series of safe and effective pre-skiing exercises that covers flexibility, balance, and strength. We have created these videos to guide you in exercising safely. http://bodylogicphysicaltherapy.com/snow-sports/
Backcountry skiing
The equipment in backcountry skiing is improving by leaps and bounds, allowing more people to access areas of a mountain only experts could do years earlier. Also, you can spend the entire day backcountry skiing without purchasing a lift ticket, and you can ski up and down a mountain face once or many times, depending on your fitness level. The skills needed for backcountry skiing are the same for alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, or snowboarding but require more overall fitness. It takes this extreme fitness level to be on the mountain for hours, continuously pushing, pulling, descending, or traversing. Therefore, more time working on aerobic fitness and quadriceps strengthening is recommended for backcountry skiers.
John Seivert is a doctor of physical therapy and he has been practicing for 34 years. He opened Body Logic Physical Therapy in Grass Valley in 2001. He has been educating physical therapists since 1986. Contact him at bodylogic2011@ yahoo.com
