5 Tips Before You Hit The Slopes This Ski Season

1. Posture: Ideal knee position & Ideal hip/ back position

Before we even hit the slopes we need to ensure we know the correct way to position ourselves on our skis. Our knees should be slightly bent and in line with our skis and they should not deviate inward nor outward. For our hips, a good way to find the correct position is to bend your knees like your are standing on skis, tuck your bottom under as far as you can and then stick it out as much as you can, then the correct position is 50% of the way between these two movements. These positions will ensure the muscles around the hip and thighs are working correctly.

 

2. Strengthen the right muscle groups

Good gluteal muscles (buttocks), quadriceps muscles (thigh) and your core are essential to keeping you on the slopes for longer, reduce risk of falling and reduce muscle soreness the following day.

3. Improve balance and flexibility

The better your balance and spatial awareness is the less likely you are to take a tumble on the slopes and in turn injure yourself. However, if you are to have a fall, the more flexible you are, the easier it is to recover from it, get back to your feet and carry on.

4. Improve cardiovascular fitness

Cycling is a great way to improve your cardiovascular endurance especially for skiing as it works the thigh muscles and keeps them under a constant tension, similar to being on the mountain.

5. Get pre-existing/ old injuries checked out

Have an existing injury, or maybe this is your first time back on the slopes after a previous injury? The best thing to do is to check in with your physiotherapist and ensure there are no deficiencies in strength or mobility that may be predisposing you to reinjury.