Intermountain Expert Offer Tips on How to Avoid Injuries During Winter Sports Season

Winter sports season is in full swing with fresh snow on the slopes, but is your body ready? As an avid skier and snowboarder, I know firsthand how much fun these activities can be—but I also know the toll they can take on muscles and joints. The right conditioning routine can help keep us on the hill and out of the emergency room.

As an active participant in winter sports, I’m always looking for ways to improve my own fitness and educate others about the importance of maintaining strength throughout the winter. The demands of winter sports, like skiing and snowboarding, are different from the rest of the year. To avoid injury, it’s essential to maintain lower extremity fitness and strength year-round, especially leading up to the winter sports season.

Even if you’ve already started hitting the slopes, it’s not too late to get your body in shape and take steps to protect yourself. Focus on strengthening your core to floor. Understand how your body moves and listen to your muscles as you lean into the turns. Take it slow,

and if you feel tired or fatigued, be sure to take a break.

People can consult an athletic trainer or physical therapist to find out if they have strength

deficits or other movement issues that could make them prone to injuries during winter sports. This type of consultation is also important for those who may still be recovering from an injury.

Whether you are a seasoned skier or snowboarder or new to the sport, a pre-season conditioning routine can help you gain more confidence, strength, agility, and balance through key exercises for specific muscle groups:

• Quads– Skiers feel their quad muscles with every turn they carve. Rebuilding these muscles prior to a heavy snowfall can lead to fewer injuries.

• Hamstrings – Strong hamstrings are equally important to having a safe day on the hill. Hamstring strength helps protect your ACL and counterbalance those quads.

• Abdominal muscles - A good, strong core absorbs bumps, preventing an injury to the lower back, and helps maintain a good ski position.

• Hip Strength – Having strong hip muscles can help with the balancing of skiing and snowboarding. They play a vital role in being able to adjust on the slopes.

Even for younger skiers, it’s important to add this type of conditioning and cross training to a workout regimen. Doing only one type of workout or sport for too long can cause an imbalance in muscle strength that can lead to sprains, strains, and overuse injuries.

While fresh powder is exciting, it’s important to take it easy on the first few runs. Ski within your ability level to avoid accidents. If you’re just getting back on the slopes, start with easy, familiar runs to regain your feel for turns and shock absorption. Big runs are thrilling, but if your body isn’t ready, they can lead to serious injuries.

Avoiding ACL Injuries: Along with being physically fit, wearing properly functioning gear is crucial for injury prevention.

Your ski bindings should release correctly; if they don’t, you’re more susceptible to severe leg injuries, like ACL tears. If your bindings don’t release as they should, they can twist your leg, causing not just ACL tears but also fractures or calf muscle injuries. Always make sure your gear fits well and is in good working condition—small adjustments can mean the difference between minor strains and major ligament damage.

Helmets are a must for everyone, as head trauma on the slopes can be severe. If you’re snowboarding, consider wearing wrist guards since falls often result in wrist injuries.

Typical ski and snowboard conditioning exercises: To build strength and agility, there’s plenty of exercises you can do: Squats, lunges, jumping lunges, retro lunges, wall sits, deadlifts, hops, single and double leg, weighted step ups, box jumps, lateral hops, and core exercises like plank walk outs.

For those who like to ski, I recommend balance and single-leg exercises because they strengthen the muscles used most in the snow.

To prepare for the slopes, exercise at least three times per week and include 30-45 minutes of strength and agility training exercises, such as those listed above, plus 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise.

As someone who loves skiing and snowboarding, I completely understand the excitement of watching the snow fall and dreaming about hitting the slopes. By staying fit and active year-round and engaging muscles like the glutes, quads, and core, we can all enjoy more time on the mountain and less time recovering from injuries.

For more information about the sports science and sports medicine services available for everyday athletes, contact Intermountain Health.