Are You Ready for Ski Season? Part 2 - Strength Training
Are You
Ready for Ski Season? Part 2 – Strength Training
In case you didn’t read the first
part of this series, here is a refresher:
As the weather turns colder and the
snow begins to fall, you can start to see the ski runs laid out like a white carpet
carving down the mountains. You and your friends/family are probably starting
to pull out all your skiing or snowboarding equipment to make sure everything
still fits and isn’t broken. You may also be thinking to yourself:
“Is my
body is ready for this snow season? I haven’t been working out as much as I
normally do because of COVID shutdowns. I don’t feel like I’m in as good a
shape as I was this time last year. What can I do to make sure I’m ready to
enjoy the slopes?”
This is a valid concern, and all of
us here at Biojunction Sports Therapy want to make sure that you are ready for
the ski season rather than seeing you later in the season to rehabilitate an
injury. Having said that, we are certainly available if you need us to help you
get back on the slopes.
Aspects of fitness that are important
to reduce your risk of ski or snowboarding injuries are endurance, core
and leg strength, balance, and mobility of the spine, hips, and
knees. Unfortunately, we can’t claim that an exercise program will prevent
ski or snowboarding injuries from occurring but addressing these aspects of
your fitness can certainly help to reduce your risk for injury.
Strength
This week I am writing about strength
training exercises that will help you during this snow season. Core and leg
strength are two of the most important areas of the body to focus on when
building strength for skiing. This is because your legs are where 60% of ski
injuries occur (compared to 25% in the upper extremities), and having a strong
core with good endurance is important for maintaining your ski/snowboard
position and to perform turns or abrupt stops. Your “core” is composed of roughly
35 muscles on the front and back of your trunk, not just that 6 pack muscle you
might be thinking of. Having a strong core with high endurance will give you
more stability overall with skiing and snowboarding throughout the day.
As you are probably aware, leg
strength is also very important in skiing and snowboarding. You need leg
strength in your hips, knees, and ankles to move in/out of positions, perform
turns, and to maintain proper ski/snowboard position even when you encounter
obstacles. Your trunk, hips, knees, and ankles all move forward, backward,
side to side, and rotate (yes, even your knees rotate!). It is important to
strengthen all the muscles that perform these various movements because there
will be many times you will have to use them. My recommendation to start
strength training is to do exercises targeting multiple muscle groups in your
core and extremities.
Here are 5 basic exercises that
incorporate multiple muscle groups and build strength and endurance in key
musculature for skiing and snowboarding. Performing these exercises 3 times per
week will give you a good start to prepare for, and maintain strength during
ski season.
- Squats: Hip, knee, and ankle strength
·
Stand with your legs shoulder width
apart.
·
Bend your knees, sitting your hips
back with your chest upright. Return to standing and repeat.
·
When you squat you want to keep even
pressure throughout your feet the whole time. Your knees should be in line with
your 2nd toe.
·
Start with 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions
and work your way up to 20 repetitions. If this is too easy then add some
weight to it!
2.
Side Lunges: Hip, knee, and ankle
strength in this lateral plane of motion
·
Begin standing with your feet
shoulder width apart.
·
Step to the side, lowering into a
side lunge position.
·
Keep your weight evenly distributed
throughout your foot without too much pressure on your toes or heels.
·
Then return to the starting position.
·
Start with 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions
on each leg and work your way up to 20 repetitions. If this is too easy then
add some weight to it!
3.
Forward Planks: Abdominal, leg, and
shoulder strength, stability, and endurance
·
Begin with your elbows underneath
your shoulders in a facedown position with feet hip width apart.
·
Contract your abdominal muscles and
quads as you bring your body up to the position shown here.
·
While maintaining this position,
ensure that your low back is not arched down or rounded up.
·
Start with 20-30 second holds for 2-4
repetitions and work your way up to 2-minute holds for 2 repetitions.
4.
Side Planks: Lateral abdominal, leg,
and shoulder strength, stability, and endurance
·
Begin by lying on your side with your
elbow under your shoulder and feet stacked on top of each other
·
Use your lateral abdominal and
gluteal muscles to elevate your body into a side plank position.
·
Ensure that your head, shoulders,
hips, and feet are all in a straight line so that you are engaging the correct
musculature.
·
Start with 20-30 second holds for 2-4
repetitions and work your way up to 2-minute holds for 2 repetitions.
5.
Supermans: Back, hip, and shoulder
strength, stability, and endurance
·
Begin lying on the floor, facedown
with your arms extended above your head in a “Y” position
·
Lift your arms and chest off the
floor at the same time as you lift your feet and knees off the floor.
·
There are two variations for sets and
reps that you can perform. You can start with the first one and work your way
up to the second.
o 1)
Isometric holds for 3 seconds for 10-20 repetitions.
o 2) Isometric holds for 20-30 seconds for 2-4 repetitions.
If you want an individualized plan to
identify which muscles you need to focus on and how to specifically train these
muscles for skiing or snowboarding, then please schedule an appointment with a
Biojunction Sports Therapy physical therapist. We will take you through
specific muscle strength testing and movement screening to identify your
weaknesses and develop a plan for you!
Thanks for reading! Next week’s blog
will focus on balance (another important aspect of fitness for ski season), so
please come back and check it out.
Columbia City: 206-327-9907
Georgetown: 206-932-7943
Wallingford: 206-829-8269
West Seattle: 206-938-0860
Author: Dr. Isaac Durrington, PT, DPT
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