Keep your muscles in good condition, and avoid injury on your Ski and Snowboarding holiday this year…. Come on, let’s hit the slopes!
Winter is here, (although you might not believe it with this mild weather) and Christmas is long forgotten. Over the next few weeks and months many of you will be heading off to cooler climates to enjoy a week or two of Skiing and Snowboarding.
We want to you enjoy your well-earned holiday, so remember to take care of your muscles and joints with our top tips.
People often think ski and boarding injuries are more likely to happen in the first day on the slopes. This is not really the case. Although you are eager to get going, it is a couple of days into your holiday problems can arise. You might be becoming increasingly confidant heading down the slopes, but those muscles you’ve not used for a while will be becoming tired, and that can lead to injury.
Here a couple of top tips to help you stay safe on the slops….
Before you go…
1. Get those muscles going. Doing a bit of exercise before you go can help your body get ready for a week of full on exercise!
2. Balance it out! As skiing and snowboarding is all about balance, it is worth having a go on a balance board to improve your balance, and use those muscles that you’ll be using when you are hitting the slopes. It will also help build up your ankle muscles too. Don’t have a balance board? Simply rocking heel to toe if you are a snowboarder and left to right if you a skier will help strengthen your ankles.
Hitting the slopes…
1. Remember to warm up – a quick run on the spot, sit ups, squats and stretches will do. And head for the easier slopes first and build up to the black run!
2. Break it up and take it easy. Remember to take lots of rest breaks, you are on holiday after all! Listen to your body, pain is a warning sign, don’t ignore it.
3. Party Pooper! Well, not entirely, but do keep your water levels topped up (do you know how much water you should be drinking? Take a look at our graphic ‘How much should I be drinking?“) and avoid alcohol until you participate in a little bit of Après Ski!
4. Off the slopes. It’s not only the slopes that are slippery. When you are out and about in the resort wear shoes with a deep treaded sole to help keep you upright.
If you do get injured – Ice is right – with an acute injury, use ice rather than heat.
Happy Skiing / Boarding…. And enjoy the après ski!
Torbay Chiropractic Clinic, Torquay. 01803 329799