Prevention of injuries in downhill skiing—Exercises and Tips - Kinatex Beauport

Prevention of injuries in downhill skiing—Exercises and Tips

2021/12/21 Home Education and advice

Prevention of injuries in downhill skiing—Exercises and Tips

It’s important to reiterate several best practices to avoid injuries. This will help you get more out of your winter!

The quantification of mechanical stress: progressing slowly but surely

😱The term sounds frightening, but it’s actually very simple.

The concept behind this terminology used by physiotherapists is based on the principle that the body has an enormous capacity to adapt provided it does it both progressively and while being attuned to it. When starting any kind of physical activity, one should start with low mechanical stress and then increase it by varying the parameters of time or intensity.

Therefore, during the first few days of skiing, it is advisable to allow for shorter days and to take regular breaks. Take advantage of these breaks to go to the lodge, have a snack and keep yourself well hydrated. Although you may feel less thirsty and do not perspire heavily, skiing is still a demanding sport and your body must remain hydrated.

Tip: Put a small water bottle in your coat pocket or inside your hood. Every time you finish a run, enjoy a few sips!

Choose trails that are easier and tailored to your performance level. Even if you have been involved in other sports during the summer, the expectations vary from one sport to another and require you to build up new muscle fibres. Afterwards, proceed slowly, taking it one step at a time.

Pro Tip 💡

The best advice for improving your performance, for example, would be to spend a full day on less demanding trails to further increase your speed and become more aggressive in your turns. Once you are sufficiently comfortable, move on to slightly more difficult trails and repeat the process.

If you develop aches and pains during the day or the next day, this is a sign that you have overdone it. Remember, you need to listen to your body. Your body is your best indicator as to whether you’ve done things progressively. Everybody is different and develops at their own pace. Your body’s ability to adjust varies from day to day. Fatigue, depression, and inactivity are all examples of factors that decrease your ability to adapt. In contrast, sleep, a healthy diet, and a cheerful disposition are all factors that increase adaptability.

Warm-ups are essential

It is strongly recommended to start the day with a good warm-up to help prevent injuries. The aim is to activate the muscles, increase blood circulation and prepare the body for muscular work. The warm-up will also stimulate the muscle spindle for an effective transmission of nerve signals to the muscles.

The first step is to do warm-up exercises specific to downhill skiing. The legs are very much involved in skiing motions, be it at the ankles, knees or hips.

I suggest some exercises that you can do in the lodge and at the bottom of the slopes, just before taking the chairlift:

The ankles

Before putting on your boots:

  • Do a few back-and-forth jumps and movements with your ankles
  • Perform rotational movements

Even though this joint is enclosed in the ski boot, there is a part of the edging movement that involves eversion (outward torsion of the foot) and inversion (inward torsion of the foot) with some ankle flexion.

The Hips

Then, with ski boots on and poles in your hands to steady yourself:

  • Swing one leg from front to back with first one hip and then with the other
  • Perform side swings and rotational movements
  • Walk by raising the knee high (soldier’s walk)
  • Do trunk rotations
  • Perform a few squats

The stabilizing muscles

Subsequently, you must awaken the stabilizing muscles as well. There are several options available to you:

  • Single leg squats
  • Jumping from one leg to the other
  • Reach out and touch the snow with your heel like the hands of a clock, resting on your other leg.

These exercises will allow you to work on your balance and be steadier on skis.

Warming up on the slopes

The warm-up continues on the slopes, starting with the relatively easy ones, always with the objective of gradually activating the muscles and preparing the body for the efforts required. This portion of the snow warm-up will also allow you to effectively use your body’s balance systems, mainly proprioception which is the body’s ability to perceive its own position and limbs in space.

I recommend that you experiment with the movements to properly sense your stability zone, in this case the zone in which you feel balanced.

Start your day with a relaxed upper body. Keep in mind, the skier’s work is done with the legs and lower body. The upper body is primarily used to maintain balance using the stabilizer muscles. An overly rigid upper body leads to a less than optimal use of the stabilizer muscles.

  • Start by simply gliding over the snow in a straight line with your arms relaxed and alongside your body.
  • Then, while still gliding, move the front of your leg forward against the top edge of the boot for a few seconds.
  • Then move your leg back against the rear edge of the boot for a few seconds.
  • Adjust your body so that you are centred inside the boot in a position that requires as little muscular work as possible and is comfortable.

Making turns activates your musculature. However, if it is already contracted so as to remain in a static position, your muscular effort becomes less effective during the effort.

  • The next part of the warm-up consists of making wide range of motion movements to warm up the joints. Below are some suggestions, but the movements may differ from one time to the next. For example, you can: alternately lower your hands toward the ground and bend to each side
  • raise your arms to the sky and then reach for your boots
  • perform jumps with your hands raised in the air
  • perform trunk rotations
  • perform stop and go movements.

Let your creativity flow!

Warm-up time

The entire warm-up should last between 10 and 20 minutes. If you don’t wish to do the whole routine, it’s better to do a little than none. The goal is to make the warm-up your own so that it’s enjoyable.

It is also always possible to start the warm-up in the car while driving to the ski resort and to save time. It is merely a matter of carrying out isometric contractions of a few muscle groups. In other words, to contract the muscles without actually making any movement. For example, contract the buttocks, quadriceps and calves several times until you feel a certain warmth which is an indication of muscular work.

If some people are inclined to do static stretching before they start skiing, be warned that sustained passive stretching is not recommended either before or after playing any sport. Stretching before sport decreases the speed of the protective response and increases the risk of injury. Post-sport stretching is not effective because the muscles are not relaxed. If you want to do stretches, simply do them at a different time of the day.

Cool down

Did you have a good time winding your way down the slopes?

Before ending your day, it is recommended that you do a cool down. This step involves gradually lowering your body temperature and heart rate. The cool down also allows for a good blood return to eliminate toxins that are found in the muscles after working out on the slopes. Keep in mind that at the end of the day, the body is more tired, which leads to slower reaction speeds and a decrease in relative muscle strength. Your body is therefore more at risk of injury. Listen to it carefully.

It’s best to start your day and your ski season gradually so that you can have as much fun as possible without injury!

Hey! I am first heading line feel free to change me

Do not hesitate to contact us at Kinatex for advice on how to prevent or heal an injury related to downhill skiing. Your physiotherapist will be able to answer your questions and advise you so that you can fully enjoy the skiing season.

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