Pre-Ski Program

SKIING IS GREAT – BUT BEWARE!

By Alan Wallis, B.P.T. Physiotherapist, Cranio-Sacral Therapist

So you are looking forward to your skiing holiday? That’s great! There’s nothing quite as exhilarating as soaring down the mountain slopes. It makes you feel younger than ever, and as fit as a fiddle, ready to face the challenges of the coming year.

But back to realism! Remember the advice of the experienced Swiss instructors: “You have to be fit to ski. Don’t ski to become fit; otherwise you are likely to end up in hospital. And that’s not fun.”

It’s good to start with swimming or walking to work every day, or exercising from time to time. But even for champions that does not mean that you will be ready to win a gold medal at the next winter games. Every sport demands different muscular activity.

To this end, it is necessary to concentrate on each individual part of your body to strengthen it for each different type of physical exertion.

Here is a basic method for checking your skiing fitness level. Stand with your legs apart. Keep your back straight. Count to twenty, slowly. If your legs, particularly your thigh muscles or calves, start aching – if you want to avoid tears, and doctors’ bills, it’s time for you to start preparing your body for your next skiing holiday right now! The more considerate you are of your body – the kinder it will be to you.

Skiing is strenuous, particularly on muscles and knees. This is the case as the body and the feet do not always operate in harmony with one another on the slopes. Skiing creates tension which quickly pin points the weakest tendons – invariably in the knees, which are very complex joints. Knee injuries account for 30% of all skiing injuries.

Knee muscles normally stabilize joints, their ligaments are naturally taut. However, they are prone to damage or rupture by sharp twisting movements in the legs. Anyone who has had the misfortune to suffer from this phenomenon knows how much pain can result. No less important is the resulting instability in the knee joint.

Here are some tips and guidelines promoting a trouble-free holiday in the snow and recommendations for an optimal training program, for experienced and beginner skiers alike:

For every year of inactivity your body requires  one month of training before you fasten those skis to your feet. Age is no barrier, within reason. Remember that with age the body loses some of its youthful elasticity, resulting in a longer healing process following injury. Regardless of age, exercises designed to strengthen thighs help protect knees.

An excellent thigh strengthening method is deep knee bends. Begin slowly and gradually add one or two additional bends each day. If you have access to a gym, it is preferable to use the machine specifically designed for strengthening thighs. Other areas which must be conditioned are the buttocks, calves and stomach muscles.

It is not beneficial to exercise intensively one day and then rest for the rest of the week. It is important to exercise six times a week for a minimum of ten to fifteen minutes a day. Build up gradually until you are ready to set off for the ski slopes. Your exercise must aim at improving flexibility, strength and balance. Naturally this process also builds up your general fitness at the same time.

Always warm up before exercise and cool down afterwards by light jogging or some other gentle activity.

No exercise session is complete without stretching. This improves blood circulation, allows easier joint activity, helps avoid muscular strain or injury, and is an essential preparation for launching yourself into space on the ski slopes.

This advice is not relevant to ski holidays alone. There is a bonus thrown in for free. You will feel better generally. You will tire less and you will sleep better – and when you are really fit after several months of training – you will discover that you need less sleep.

One more tip: Your clothes must be comfortable to ensure full freedom of movement. Tight garments like body hugging jeans might be glamorous, but like nylon socks they do not absorb perspiration and will hinder you. If you are jogging at night remember to wear light clothes with protective patches.

It sounds like hard work. It is. But skiing is a strenuous sport. If you want to make it an exhilarating experience you have to sweat a lot in advance. But it will all be worth your while as you glide down the slopes blissfully, spending leisure time with hot cocoa solely out of choice and leisure and not because your body aches too much to ski for more than that first day.

Have a great time!

As part of the comprehensive services offered by our clinic within the framework of injury prevention, we have launched a 4-week pre-ski fitness program , to prepare your body for your best ski experience ever, minimizing the risks of injury by arriving as strong and fit as possible.

During our 4 week program, (early December through early January),  we will meet for 2 one-hour meetings each week.

Each session will feature sport specific exercises, including:

• Muscle Training
• Balance Enhancement
• Flexibility Improvement
• Cardio-Vascular Components

Pre-Ski Program

For further details and to make an appointment:

Tel: 02-673 2939

Email: info@wallis.co.il

The Wallis Center, 2 Betar Street (Beit Hatayelet), Jerusalem