How To Condition Yourself for Skiing

Orthopedics

27 Dec 2021 | 1 | by kjh

2405290login-checkHow To Condition Yourself for Skiing

Are you heading to the slopes to ski?  Skiing is fun, good for your health, and offers great scenery.  But jumping in without preparation can set you up for injury.  First of all, the altitude can be hard to adjust to if you haven’t been to the mountains in a while.  Walk around and get used to the altitude before you ski.  

But even before you get to your favorite ski destination, work on cardiovascular conditioning.  Activities that prepare you for skiing include bicycling, running up and down hills, rollerblading, and rowing.  Other activities you can do indoors (outdoors too if weather permits) include stair climbing, elliptical training, aerobics, basketball, squash, and racketball.  Don’t forget to stretch ahead of time and warm-up.

Strength training is also important.  Muscles used in skiing include quads, hamstrings, buttocks, and the outer and inner hip.  Also work on the abdominals, lower back, and the inside and outside of your lower ankle. Calf muscles are important too. If you’ve recently had a hip replacement or knee replacement, talk to your doctor first.

Proper fitting boots and skis help prevent injuries.  Wear a helmet to reduce the chance of a serious head injury.

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Barryman
Barryman
1 year ago

Good advice. I’m usually so excited to start skiing that I just go right into it. No preparation. Many of my friends end up in the hospital with injuries and the whole trip is ruined.

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