Are you Slope Ready?

Get “Slope Fit” before your holiday and reduce the risk of injury and make it more enjoyable!

The winter holiday season is just round the corner! If you are planning on hitting the slopes, strengthening your legs prior to your holiday is the best way to reduce the risk of injury.  The body needs to be prepared for the stresses it will be put through on a 9-5 day on the slopes!

Skiing injuries account for 80% of all snow sport injuries, 30% of these injuries are likely to involve the knee. Knee ligaments being the most common.  Snowboard injuries are more likely to involve the upper limbs.  It is therefore, more beneficial to make sure the exercises are specific to your sport.  However, the risk of injury can be greatly reduced if you prepare your body and have a good level of fitness prior to hitting the slopes.

The key areas to focus on when preparing for skiing or snowboarding include core stability, gluteal muscles, and leg muscles. Flexibility is also important (especially hips and calves) as is your cardiovascular fitness.

Here are some exercises to support you having a good base for being slope fit:

Bridging:

Start lying on the floor and feet flat on the floor, hip width apart.  Engage your deep core muscles and gently raise your pelvis up off the floor, squeeze your gluteal muscles (bottom muscles).  Hold for a few seconds then gently return to the start position.

Wall Sit

Lean back against a wall with your feet shoulder-width apart.  Then press back at the wall and slide down the wall until your thighs are parallel with the ground.  Your knees should be above your ankles and bent at right angles. Keep your head, shoulders, and upper back against the wall.  Hold for as long as you can, building to 30-60 seconds or longer if able.

Squats

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and toes pointing slightly outwards.  Tense your deep core, look ahead and stand tall. Slowly sit back by moving your bottom backwards as you lower down feel the weight shifting to your heels.  As you lower try to push your knees slightly outwards, and knees should be directly above your feet.  If you are unable to do a squat without putting weight through your toes, take the time to work on your mobility especially the ankles (see stretches below).

Lunges

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.  Step forward 2 to 3 feet with your right foot.  The heel of your left foot will be off the ground, slowly lower your body so your left knee drops towards the floor, try to stay upright or a slight forward lean.  Once you are as low as feels comfortable, slowly push up and return to the start position.  Switch legs and repeat the exercise.

Lateral lunges

Stand with your feet hip width apart.  Take a big step to the side with your left leg, then bend your left knee, push hip back and lower until your left knee is bent 90 degrees. Push up through left leg to the start position and repeat on the right leg.

Slope Ready Core

Russian Twists

Sit on the floor and put your weight into your glutes and sacrum (bottom of your spine), lift your legs off the floor, keeping your knees bent.  Lengthen and straighten your spine at a 45 degree angle from the floor, creating a V shape with your torso and thighs.  Reach your arms out in front and use your abdominals to twist to the right, then back to the centre and repeat the movement to the left.  Repeat for as many repetitions as you can 8-12 or more if you can.  Weight can be added to progress the exercise.

Plank

Using an exercise matt can make this more comfortable and can be performed you your palms or forearms.  Begin in the plank position, face down with your forearm and your toes on the floor. Elbows are directly under your shoulders, feet bot too close together and head is relaxed and facing the floor.  Engage your deep core muscles drawing your navel toward your spine.  Keep your body in a straight line from your ears to your toes with no sagging or bending.  Hold the position for as long as you can without moving and build to 30-60 seconds.

Side Plank

Start in plank position, keeping the body straight.  Turn your body to the side so you are on one arm facing sideways in a side plank. Hold this for as long as you can 30-60 seconds.  Repeat on the other side.

Slope Ready Flexibility

Calves

Lower both heels down a step or stair putting your body weight thought your heels.  Hold the stretch with straight legs for 30 seconds and then bend the knee slightly and hold for a further 30 seconds.

Hips

Kneel one leg on the floor hip, with the other leg stretched out behind, hip width apart. Make sure your hips and pelvis are facing forward and not twisting.  So lunge forward until you feel the stretch on the back leg. Hold for 30 seconds and swap legs.

Glutes

Lying on your back cross one foot onto the opposite knee, keeping your hips and pelvis facing forwards. Push down on the knee and feel the stretch at the bottom area. Progress to lifting the leg that the foot is resting on off the floor (holding behind the back of the knee) and push the knee further down towards the floor.  Hold for 30 seconds repeating on the opposite side.

Try to do the exercises and stretches once a day to start progressing to 2-3 times as able, if any areas feel tight stretch at least 2- 3 times per day.

It is important that your preparation is sport specific and for more dynamic exercises ‘Slopercise‘ (on youtube) would be a useful tool to provide you with progressions, incorporating key exercises and cardiovascular fitness.

Enjoy the slopes!

If you have any questions or would like to have an individual assessment or exercise programme prior to hitting the slopes, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Read onto our next article What is a Sports Massage? by Sports Therapist Gabby.