Tis the Season for Skiing

With colder weather arriving soon, the conversations surrounding when to ski and snowboard have begun.   Skiing and snowboarding are winter sports enjoyed by nearly 200 million people worldwide. An overall injury rate of approximately three per 1000 skier days and snowboarding two to four per 1000 means that skiing and snowboarding is one of the riskiest sports undertaken by adults on a routine basis. 1 Ski and snowboarding injuries most frequently occur in the lower extremity where 27% are knee ligament related. Injury rates have reduced most recently with better equipment design and improved maintenance requirements. One way to minimize the chance of injury is to participate in a strength and conditioning program focused on lower body and back strengthening.  Skiing and Snowboarding is characterized by high intensity exercise over a short period of time.  Strength, change in direction, and reactivity is required to be efficient on the mountain.

A strength program completed two to three times per week should be completed during the off-season and maintained during the ski season.  Here are some great exercises you can use:

Jump Squats

Squat and then shift weight from your heels to the balls of your feet to explode upward before landing softly on the ground. Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Russians Twists

Sit on the ground and lean up slightly with your knees and hips bent at a 90-degree angle. Grab a dumbbell or weight plate and hold it with bent arms away from your chest. With your feet off the floor, engage your core and rotate your upper body as far as you can to the right, touching the weight to the ground. Return to the center and then twist to the other side. One repetition is a twist to each side. Complete 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps.

Lateral Jumps

Keep a wide stance and jump laterally back and forth over a sandbag or foam roller. Concentrate on jumping softly and quickly. Continue for 6-8 jumps keeping a flat back and open chest. Repeat for 3 sets.

Front Squats

Standing with a kettlebell up near your jaw, lower your butt to the ground. Take a deep breath as you squat down and exhale as you stand back up. Keep your core engaged and your back straight as you slowly return to a starting position. Complete 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Single Leg Deadlifts

Standing upright, extend your hands and slowly lean forward, leading with your chest. Slowly lift one leg out behind you, and keep your base leg slightly bent to maintain balance. While slowly leaning over, keep your back leg straight and in-line with your torso. Remember to take a deep breath in as you go forward and exhale as you return to a standing position. Do 10-12 reps for 3 sets. Then repeat on the opposite leg.

Box Jumps

The key is to start with a low box to get accustomed to the movement—select something between 12- to 24-inches in height, depending on your personal level of confidence and strength. The exercise itself, in theory, is simple. The whole goal is to simply stand facing the box, then in a smooth motion, jump from the floor to the top of the box, landing both feet at the same time. Even if the short jump feels simple because it will enable you to perform the exercise safely and effectively as you progress in box jump-height. Competed 3 sets of 6 repetitions

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