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Get fit to ski and snowboard-Avoid an injury and a trip to the physio

Get fit to ski and snowboard-Avoid an injury and a trip to the physio

Written by: Florence Yip, BscPT Registered Physiotherapist at North Burnaby Physiotherapy and Wellness

During this Winter Season before you hit the slopes to ski or snowboard evaluate your fitness and see if your bodies are ready for this activity. With proper conditioning you can help your body avoid painful injuries and spend more time on the mountain instead of at the physiotherapist’s office.

Alignment: Spending a lot of time sitting and performing repetitive tasks will influence the bodies’ postural alignment. We may be too tight in some parts and not strong enough in others. This imbalance may not cause any problems initially during our everyday lives, but once we start a more challenging activity, our bodies may not be prepared for the increased load.

Balance: Balance is a key for many sports, especially for skiing and snowboarding. Specific training can help improve your balance reaction time which may help prevent a painful tumble.

Core: Having a strong core is fundamental in stabilizing the trunk, providing your body an anchor to move from. Since skiing and snowboarding is three dimensional, you need to train your core in all three directions.

Deceleration: Going down hill requires you to control your body by decelerating with good quadriceps. Skiers and snowboarders must be able to control their deceleration, to slow the forces of gravity and finish their run safely.

If you want to learn more about specific core, balance or conditioning exercises, consult with a physiotherapist. We are university trained body specialists. At North Burnaby Physiotherapy injury prevention is our focus. Don’t wait until your pain is at a level where you can’t bare anymore. Come in for some advice and let us design a program for you, which suits your needs and lifestyle. Sport specific training is important to prepare your body for optimal performance.

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