The early snow falls this year have made many people, including myself, excited about the up and coming snow season this year.  But, to get the most out of your snow sports, being fit and ready before you start means that you won’t have to spend most of your skiing/boarding holiday in the café or bar because you’re too sore and tired.  The ideal preparation is about 3 months to get a decent amount of muscle strength to be ready for snow sports, or at least 6 weeks will make you most of the way there.

To get the most out of your skiing preparation, you can approach your local Pilates centre, personal trainer or physiotherapist to put you through your paces.  All these places should be able to design a personalized program to get the best out of your training, with your particular needs, strengths and weaknesses and potential injuries in mind.  Otherwise here are 5 exercises that can be performed at home to get you started.

1. Core Stability – The beginning – The deep abdominal muscles, in particular a muscle called Transverses Abdominus, provides the foundation, to keep your back stable, so that it is protected, no matter which activity you do.  It should be performed at the start of your workout, so that it continues to stay excited and working throughout the rest of the exercises.
1. Lying on your back.  Draw your stomach in below your belly button.  (Place one hand above the belly button and one below. You should feel the stomach pull away from the bottom muscle and not the top muscle).  Holding this muscle in, lift one leg up and take it out straight.  Then take the leg out to the side.  Stop at the point that you feel you can no longer maintain a contraction of the muscle below the belly button only.  Repeat 10 on each side.
2. Gluteal muscles – The most important power muscle, which give you most of your propulsion when walking and works together with your core stabilizers to keep you body upright.
1. Lying on your back, knees bent, take one leg our straight.  Switch on your core.  Lift your bottom up in the air so that your body is straight.  Hold for 3 sec, and repeat 8 times.  This is harder than it seams at first, especially if you hold for the whole 3 seconds.
3. Quadriceps – These are important power muscles for skiing and the main stabilizers of your knees.
1. Start in a lunge position.  The right starting position is when you front knee is bent, but you can see your toes.  Step back to meet your other leg, and step forward back to the starting position.  This works the quadriceps in an eccentric manner, which is best way to build muscle strength and control as well a recruiting your gluteals at the same time.
4. Calfs – Usually underestimated and very important for snow sports.  These muscles work all the time as you are constantly leaning forward.  If they are weak, you tend to lean backward, which means your technique will be poor and you are more likely to injure yourself.
1. Step up onto a step (foot half off the step), and raise up onto your toes 3 times, lowering yourself down slowly (The eccentric part).  Then step off the step.  Repeat the whole process 8 times
5. Upper body – Underestimated for snow sports, you will find you need it when using your poles walking uphill or picking yourself up when you fall.
1. Start in a Push-up position (On your knees is fine).  The most important part is to keep your shoulder blades back and down.  They should stay still, your arms particularly the triceps should do the work.  Come down for a push-up, hold the position half way down for 3 sec and then come up.  Repeat 10 times

The whole process should be repeated for 3 sets, and ideally at least 2-3 times a week for the maximum benefit.

Generally injuries in snow sports are actually very low compared to most other sports. In skiing there’s1.74 injuries per 1000 days skied[1], and in snow boarding a little higher, 3.55 injuries per 1000 days skied.  Most are minor, including bruises and cuts, however, it is worth being aware of the more serious ones

1. Skiing
1. Knee Injuries - In particular tear to the Medial co-lateral ligament, the ligament on the inside of the knee.  It tends to occur with a twisting fall or a snow plough gone wrong.  Most are minor and will recover, but some are more serious and can involve the Anterior Cruciate Ligament and need to be seen by a surgeon.  If you are unsure, make sure it is examined by your doctor or ideally a sports medicine physician
2. Shoulder injuries – Can vary for a minor sprain of the AC joint to a full shoulder dislocation.  Usually occurs when you fall onto an out stretched hand.  If you have dislocated your shoulder, make sure you are seen by the doctor.  Do not get your friends to just put it back in.  This could cause nerve damage or you could be missing an underlying fracture.
3. Thumb Injuries – Underestimated and serious long term consequences.  Can occur when you fall and pole handles act as a lever to stretch the ligament.  Again you should get this seen by a sports physician who is used to seeing these injuries and manage it appropriately
2. Snowboarding
1. Wrist Fractures – 25% of all snow boarding injuries, much more likely than with skiing, even though the overall injury rate with low.  It occurs because when you fall your feet are bound and you put your hands out to stop the fall.  Your chances of doing this are 2.5 times high on your first time than when you are experienced.  So wear a proper wrist guard made for snowboarding.  It reduces your risk of fracture by 85%!!!  This is a no brainer, but only about 10% of snowboarder wear guards.
2. Ankle Fracture – Not common, but with very serious consequences.  They generally occur with soft boots, and can often be dismissed as just a sprain, that leads to long-term arthritis in the joint.  If you have pain after a sprain for more than 7 days, talk to your doctor about getting a CT scan, an x-ray is not enough.  If they say it is not needed, insist or see a sports physician
3. Spinal and head injuries – Although not exclusive to snowboarding, worth mentioning.  The most dangerous are collisions with stationary object when you are travelling at moderate to high speeds, particularly trees.  A helmet will prevent most minor head injuries, such as fall, but if you are travelling fast enough, the helmet may not be enough.  If you feel any symptoms after a head injury, especially if you have lost consciousness, make sure you are seen by a doctor.

Finally, some general safety tips that are important for everyone, to get the most from your snow sports

• Take lessons from a professional – More injuries occur when you do not know what you are doing and a professional can teach you the right technique, especially techniques how to fall properly as a boarder so that you do not hurt yourself.  Friends will teach you bad habits that are hard to break
• Recognize when you are tired – Most injuries occur after lunch or towards the end of the day when people are tired.  Take a break, there will always be snow the next day or on your next trip.
• Wear a helmet – The designs are better and they are cooler than they used to be.  They are also great when it’s snowing, because the snow doesn’t fall on your head and make your hair or beanie wet, and they may prevent most minor head injuries
• Snowboarders – wear a wrist guard for boarding.  85% less risk of a fracture, this is a no brainer
• Watch out for trees – shallow ground next to a tree can be deceptive and could mean a serious fall

Written by:

Michael Dermansky

Senior Physiotherapist

MD Health Physiotherapy