Skiing and Snow Boarding
The ski and boarding season is here and over the coming months many of you will venture out to the slopes. Without training joints and muscles are easily injured (particularly the lower limb) which can be very frustrating and disappointing when you want to enjoy your holiday. Below are a few suggestions for exercises that can be completed in preparation for a ski or snow boarding holiday.
Please note:
If you have any a pre-existing injury it is advisable to discuss these exercises with a physiotherapist before starting. You should not experience any pain with these exercises, if you do please stop doing them immediately.
- Static Wall Squat: This exercise strengthens the quadriceps and hamstrings using your own body weight (as in skiing and boarding) to help support the knee.
With your back against the wall, lower yourself down until your legs form a 90° angle. Repeat until moderate fatigue. If this is too difficult start by squatting to a 110° angle and progress to 90°.
N.B. Ensure that your knees stay behind you toes and do not let your bottom go lower than your knees.
2. Stability squats with an exercise ball: This exercise is similar to the wall squat but is more dynamic.
Place the ball between the wall and your mid back, then lower yourself down until your legs form a 90° angle, then return to upright.
Repeat until moderate fatigue.
N.B. Ensure that your knees stay behind you toes and do not let your bottom go lower than your knees.
- Lower limb trunk curls: This exercise uses the legs and truck to support through the hips and back.
Assume a push-up position on the ball (image on the left). Keep the wrists directly below the shoulders. In one slow and fluid movement roll the ball underneath you as shown (in the image on the right). Keep core muscles strong and back as straight as possible. Repeat until moderate fatigue.
4. Gluteal/hamstring lift: This focuses on the backs of the legs, these muscles work with the quadriceps and hip muscles supporting the knees and hips.
Lie with your lower legs on the exercise ball, raise torso so that knees, hips and shoulders are all off the ground and in-line. Once you have lifted your buttocks, bend your knees to 90°, repeat until moderate fatigue. Be sure to maintain correct alignment of your joints.
N.B. Do not let your lower over arch. Keep spine ‘long’.
Are the above exercises easy? Then try these more difficult single leg exercises.
6. Single leg Stability squats with an exercise ball.
See Exercise 2 for more details.
Repeat until moderate fatigue.
5. Single leg Static Wall Squat
See Exercise 1 for more details.
Repeat until moderate fatigue.
7. Lower limb trunk curl with single leg.
See Exercise 3 for more details.
Repeat until moderate fatigue.
8. Gluteal/hamstring lift single leg.
See Exercise 4 for more details. This time DO NOT BEND KNEE, just lift hips off the floor.
Repeat until moderate fatigue.
For further information please contact the United Health physiotherapy team.
