Ten Tips for the Ski Season

The snowflakes are falling and soon Melbourne will be migrating to the mountains for weekends of skiing and tobogganing!

Here are my top ten tips to ensure you make the most of your ski trip and be as prepared as possible.

1. Equipment

• Check your equipment well before you depart for your trip. Consider buying new equipment as newer light weight equipment will have more bounce in it and make your skiing much more enjoyable. Try on your boots and make sure they fit correctly, wear them around before your holiday to make sure they are comfortable.

2. Fitness

• Increase your base fitness level and you will be able to make the most of your costly lift pass. Cardio respiratory fitness is essential for skiing so try something like cycling as a great work out that won’t over load your knees. Furthermore, do a ski fitness program to target specific muscle groups you require for skiing (see tip #10).

  3. Stretch

• Rest is the most underrated performance enhancer. Whilst it is essential to strengthen in preparation for skiing it is just as important to provide the body with rest and stretching. Focus on stretching quadriceps, glutes and hip flexors to maximise your flexibility and muscle function.

  4. Chill (Pardon the pun)

• Take it easy! Start slowly and build the intensity and difficulty of your runs. Train yourself on the groomers to get use to your skis and boots and slowly progress. It’s easy to arrive at the mountain all amped up but try to save yourself from burning out on day one.

  5. Learn

• Take a lesson. Yes, they are expensive but at the same time a half day of expert tips doesn’t go astray whether you’re a novice or experienced. An instructor will help you make the most of your new equipment, give you specific skills to work on and provide advice on the best runs for you.

  6. Drills

• Just like a netballer practices throwing drills and a swimmer practices high elbows – a skier should perform drills to improve technique. It is recommended that you find a gentle run and practice long radius and short radius turning as well as identifying your centre of balance by leaning too far forwards and too far backwards. Once you’ve nailed this try progressing to some steeper runs.

  7. Plan

• It pays to plan out your goals and what you’d like to achieve by the end of the week. Perhaps, this is something you could discuss with your instructor.

  8. Drink

• Swap the wine for water; it easy to overdo it on the first night when you’re 10,000 feet higher than normal. Alcohol can exacerbate symptoms of high altitude sickness, including headaches and nausea. Never the less, a celebration at the end of a week well skied is always warranted.

  9. Rest

• When you’re fatigued and running out of gas, back off. It’s always the skiers who keep hurtling down the black runs that end up calling the rescue toboggan. As a physio, I see tonnes of skiing injuries, from broken wrists to ruptures ACLs. When required, rest and rejuvenate, take a day sitting by the fire and return to skiing when your body is back at its best.

  10. Strengthen

• Skiing is a fantastic workout for your body as it requires the use of all muscles. Here are some specific muscles to target and strengthen in the lead up to your trip:
  • Quadriceps: the most vital muscles required for skiing are your quads. These muscles hold you in position and help you steer and stop. Fabulous exercises for your quads are squats and lunges.
  • Hamstrings and Glutes: As you are skiing downhill you typically will hold your trunk in a flexed position, this requires strong eccentric (contraction on length) strength from your hamstrings and glutes. Good exercises for this are; bridges, single legged dead lifts and step ups.
  • Inner and Outer thighs: Your outer thighs help keep your body stable and enable you to steer whilst your inner thighs work like crazy to keep your skis together. Work these muscles with side lunges, side leg lifts, inner thigh squeezes and side leg squats.
  • Calves: Because your knees are bent as you ski, your calves (in particular your soleus) help you stay up right so you don’t fall over. Strengthen your calves by performing calf raises off the edge of a step.
  • Abs and Back: To maintain a forward flexed position through your trunk whilst skiing your abs and back must have great endurance. It is essential to strengthen these muscles in order to protect your spine. Work these muscles with exercises like toe taps, planks, back extensions and dumbbell rows.
  • Arms: Arms help push off with your skis and balance you. Make sure you work your biceps and triceps along with the rest of your body.