Preparing for Ski Season

The summer was amazing and as we transition into winter, now is the time to start prepping for the ski season. If you have never done this before, it is an absolute game changer and well worth the effort! Here are five tips to get you going.

1. CARDIO. Building up a good cardio base is a great way to get back into things. Even though skiing is predominantly a short duration start/stop sport, having a good cardio base helps your muscles prepare for the ski hill as well as being able to recover from a day on the slopes. At least 20 minutes, three times weekly is recommended to get you going the first four weeks.
    
2. “PREHAB”.  Prehab (preventative rehabilitation) means addressing current weaknesses and injuries as well as anticipating what aspects of your sport may cause overuse injuries. Take the knees for example, doing stability exercises such as wobble board squats will help your knees strengthen and stabilize as well as improve their ability to sustain awkward ski turns or glide through flat-light bumps. If you have old rehabilitation routines, it’s probably not a bad idea to try them this month and make sure they can be done without difficulty.
    
3. STRENGTH.  Basic strength training, 3 sets of 10 reps, of all major muscle groups will also help build your base so you can move into more sport-specific exercises in the few weeks prior to the season starting. Three times weekly is ideal.
    
4. AGILITY.  During your base building phase, lateral hops and light jumping activities are recommended, provided they are done without discomfort. These are best incorporated into your strength exercises while you are resting between sets in manageable intervals of 20-30 seconds.
    
5.  FLEXIBILITY.  Always end your cardio and strength program with a good stretch of each major muscle group. Hold each stretch for 5-10 long breaths. Range of motion or mobility exercises are great to start your routine with (arm circles, alternate knee raises, straight leg kicks) to ensure each joint is mobile and without restriction.

With only weeks to go before the ski hill opens, this is an important time to stay focused towards an awesome winter season and to be grateful for this time to prepare yourself for the pow days ahead.