1. WARM-UP
A solid warmup is key to reducing injury risk on the hill. Despite what fitness magazines from the 80's say, static stretching is not a suitable warm-up. You need to prepare your body for the activity you're about to do. Before a day on the slopes I’d recommend finding an activity to get your heart rate up (bike, spin, stairs, jump rope, etc). The increased HR will help raise muscle temperatures in the body and gets your central nervous system in the fight or flight zone, ready for anything! Next, I would suggest doing exercises that target joint movement (squats, Lunges, Side lunges, hip hinges, push-ups, rows, core stabilization, core rotation, etc).
2. STAY HYDRATED
Even during mild dehydration, your mind starts to lose its ability to concentrate for long periods of time. I don't know about you, but I really prefer to have my mind right while I’m strapped to a board, flying down a mountain! This is an easy fix that almost everyone needs to work on. If you wait until you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.
3. STAY FUELED
Carbs can be really demonized, especially in today’s society, however they are really our body’s main source of energy and are extremely important. At low glycogen levels our body’s muscles won’t work at optimum capacity which could put us at risk for injuries. Make sure you get a good breakfast in prior to the hill and bring snacks ready for those long chair lifts.
4. RECOVERY
Après ski regularly includes a beer for myself. However, it also includes activities that'll help me recover and be at my best for the next day. Light spin, stretch or foam roll, ice bath, and good sleep are all basics of recovery. Hit them all and you can be fresh the next day too.
5. ACUTE TO CHRONIC LOAD RATIOS
Now we're getting a little nerdy! A:C ratios help let athletes know when they may be over-trained and at a higher risk for injuries due to CNS or muscle fatigue. To find acute to chronic load ratios, divide your average load of the last 30 days by the average load over the last week. Studies show that above 1.5 ratio starts to put you at a higher risk. You might be asking yourself, how the hell do I calculate load??? There are many different ways to do this but by far the easiest is to multiple the time of your workout/skiing by your rate of perceived exertion (RPE, 1-10 how hard did it feel). Now you know how to easily monitor your body’s workloads! This is also a good illustration as to why we need to build large work capacities during the off season. Having that high chronic load will allow you to hammer on the mountain all day. If you're interested in working with a ski & snowboard specific strength coach, checkout my services page!
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