Protect Yourself From Ski-Fatigue Injuries

Expert recommends conditioning exercises to keep skiers, snowboarders healthy

SATURDAY, Jan. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Muscle fatigue at the end of a day of skiing or snowboarding can lead to sloppy technique and potentially season-ending injuries, warns an expert.

But physical preparation can help protect against injury, said Dr. Ed Laskowski, co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center and a former competitive alpine skier.

Before you go on a ski or snowboard holiday, it's a good idea to do different types of conditioning exercises to prepare your body for long days on the slopes.

Endurance exercises, particularly those with an aerobic component, can help train the muscles so that fatigue doesn't result in an injury at the end of a full day of skiing, Laskowski said in a clinic news release.

Strength training that focuses on the major leg-muscle groups, especially those used in skiing, can help you stabilize and control your body while skiing.

It's also a good idea to do core exercises to help link your upper and lower body movements, as well as balance exercises that emphasize stability, Laskowski said.

He suggested ski-specific exercises that help you prepare for the side-to-side motions used on the slopes. For example, try jumping from side to side over a line of tape on the floor, using both feet and then using one foot at a time.

More information

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has more about skiing injury prevention.

Robert Preidt SOURCE: Mayo Clinic, news release, January 2012

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