Skiing (and snowboarding) is fast approaching and we get a lot of questions about it in clinic. Quite often people are concerned about their current injuries and how they will manage, and some had issues last year with getting injured and missing parts of the season.
Check out this video of Matt and Corinne discussing 4 big tips to reduce your risk of injury!
In summary:
1- Take it slow and easy. The majority of injuries we see in clinic are down to one thing... doing too much too soon. This is especially the case with the ski season. Most people will not have skied since April/May last year, and they get really excited and go out like crazy at the start of the season, doing multiple days in a row and picking up where they left off. Please try not to do that. Take it easy, start slow, take some rest days, start on the easier slopes. The season is plenty long enough for you to build up tolerance and get our for some great sessions.
2- Take some time to prep your body. 4-6 weeks (or longer) before ski season starts you should implement some leg strength exercises into your routine. This can be as simple as squats, lunges, wall sits, or even hiking up the mountain. Strengthening your legs and core muscles to get them ready for the challenge of skiing is really important, and will let you do more than you think when you get out there. This is ESPECIALLY important if your exercise levels are low during the summer and autumn.
3. Get your equipment checked and update what you need to. Make sure everything fits and does its job properly!
4. Take care of previous injuries. The biggest risk factor for injury, is previous injury. So if you have a niggle, or some aches and pains right now- get them checked! Or if you had some issues last season but have just hoped they would go away, get them checked!
Take the above points into consideration and you will be doing a lot to reduce your risk of ski related injuries. We hope we get some good snow this season and that you all stay healthy. Say hi to us on the slopes if you see us :)