Conditioning and Injury Prevention for Skiers Ski season is here! Do these exercises to stay in shape and help prevent injury: Over the next few weeks, we will post a few exercises and stretches per week to make sure you are all set to hit the slopes. These exercises are mostly equipment free so you can do them at home, at the gym, and even at your desk at work! Squat: Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Lower your hips as if you were sitting in a chair positioned behind you. Keep your knees in line with your second toe and don’t let them go forward past your toes. Then, when your knee joint is around a 90-degree angle, straighten your legs. Be sure to keep normal posture in your back throughout the movement. Quad Stretch: Stand on one leg and bring your other foot up behind you. Hold the top of your foot with the hand of the opposite side (i.e. hold R foot with L hand, and vice versa). Tuck in your stomach and shift your hip forward. Keep your knee pointed down at the ground, and hold the stretch for 30-45 seconds. If you are noticing any knee pain while skiing or snowboarding, check out our Knee Pain Explained blog post, and give us a call at (303) 494-4100 if your pain persists!
Olaf and Antoinette staying active on their recent ski trip! How do you stay active? If injury currently limits your activities, come in and we can help you get your active life back!
Tips to Prevent Skiing-Related Knee Injuries The most common injuries in skiing happen to the lower limb, most commonly the knee. The introduction of releasable bindings has decreased the rate of leg fractures by 90% in the past 30 years, but knee sprains (including ACL and/or MCL tears) are on the rise accounting for about 30% of all skiing injuries. The most common injury is the medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear, which is typically treated without surgery. In skiing, the MCL is often torn when the ski tips are pointed toward one another in a snowplow position (the common slow or stop position) and the skier falls down the hill. MCL tears are more common among beginning and intermediate skiers than advanced and elite skiers. When skiing you may prevent an MCL tear by: Continue reading →
