Are you ready for your ski trip? Tips for injury prevention!

With ski season coming up, I thought I’d share a few exercises that I like to do with my son to get us ready for the slopes.  

Skiing…it’s all about squats – your quads (thighs) are the hardest working muscle group, followed by your glutes (buttock).  

And these exercises need NO equipment… just a chair and a mat.   

Before you go on your ski trip – strengthen your thighs & improve cardiovascular endurance:  

Strength:  

Squats - Squat down towards a chair placed behind you (this helps to maintain form), aim to just brush the chair, not sit down.  

Variations - Squat jumps, squat holds (hover above a chair) or squat hold & pulse up and down.  

Glute bridges - Start with double then progress to single leg.  

Lunges  

Plank and side plank  

How many? 10-15 reps, 3 sets. Or try as many as you can in 30 seconds (increasing to 45 secs), with a 15 second break between exercises.  

Cardio - Stepper, cycling, running will all help to improve your stamina.  

Whilst you’re on the ski trip – Warm up & Stretch  

A gentle warm-up with dynamic stretches helps to get the blood pumping in your muscles & synovial fluid flowing around the joints – just like warming the car engine on a cold day!   

Warm up: Star jumps/ jogging on the spot (2-3mins), hip rotations, leg swings.  

Apres ski: Stretch out the quads, hamstrings and glutes, plus foam rolling. 15-20 seconds holds, 2-3 times.