Most common skiing injuries and tips to prevent them including pre ski season workout
Most common skiing injuries and tips to prevent them including pre ski season workout
Skiers and snowboarders lovers should be aware of the most common risks of these popular sports in order to prevent the most classic skiing injuries and don’t ruin their winter season.
Here you can find some advices on pre ski season workout and on how to face an unavoidable fall.
Injuries are a reality because skiers can reach very high speed from 60 to 90 km per hour. So accidents happens but there are tricks to follow in order to prevent them.
First of all it is fundamental to plan a pre ski season workout in order to train muscles properly.
The knee is the joint that receive the most stress and abuse during the practice of winter sports. Knee joint may be torn or sprained because the leg must bear a lot of pressure while skiing.
A good pre ski season workout should include squats (double leg and single leg squats), side-to-side skaters and wall-sits exercises. These are three kind of exercises that work on leg muscles around the knee and strengthen them.
To avoid the risk of an ACL rupture it is very important not to get up during a fall. You must “accept the fall” and wait until you come to a complete stop.
There are some other tips to reduce the possibility of an ACL rupture:
- Keep the knees always flexed during a fall. So never straighten your legs
- After a fall, stay down, try to feel any pain and if you feel ok make very simple and slow movements to check your ligaments and joints
- Keep your arms up and forward during a fall. Don’t let them go behind you.
- During jumps avoid to land with your weight back because the force can tear your ACL.
Back Injuries
Back Injuries are also quite common for skiers and snowboarders.
They may involve muscles, bones or both of them.
These injuries may occur during a fall, or trying to avoid it and also while skiing on rough terrain.
A bone injuries, such as a coccyx fracture, are less common and can occur when falling on a hard object or ground.
Pre ski season workout is very important also for these kind of injuries.
Strengthening and warm exercises for the back are recommender before hitting the slopes.
Wrist fracture is another typical injuries for skiers and snowboarders. This is due to the fact that during a fall the natural reaction is to extend the arm to lessen the impact.
So, if your speed is fast and the snow a bit hard, when you fall, you are at high risk of a sprain or fracture.
The secret is to learn how to fall correctly.
To prevent a fracture you should try to relax your body and distribute the impact of a fall uniformly. You should not tense your body and brace the impact for example outstretching your hand to stop a fall.
That is a gut reaction that puts you at risk of a fracture.
Other typical and most severe injuries of skiing and snowboarding are:
Clavicle Fracture, Humerus Fracture, Elbow Fracture, Tibia and Fibula Fracture and also Femur Fracture particularly in older people.
GENERAL TIPS TO PREVENT INJURIES ON THE SLOPES
- Remember the technique: shoulders and weight forward, the knees must be bent, as well as all other joints (hips and ankles)
- Good view: always have a good view of where you are going to go.
- Stay on marked trails: be aware of bumpy terrain and possible obstacles (such as trees and rocks)
- Training and warm up are fundamental
- Choose an equipment that is appropriate for your height and skill level. (Wear protections such as a helmet and wrist guards)
- Rest if you are tired